Reasons to Study Abroad in Oslo

Upon returning home from a semester in Norway, I have had a lot of time to reflect on my overall experience abroad. I was fortunate to have a generally positive experience and already miss my friends and the lifestyle I lived while in Oslo. Here are a few of the things I have found I miss the most and what I believe was unique in choosing to spend a semester in Oslo, Norway!

Nature

There is no place quite like Norway. The chance to study in a place with mountains, rivers, oceans, or islands can be special but put them all together and you have the magical Norwegian homeland. From after-class hikes to weekend getaways, nature has heavily influenced how I spent my time abroad. It also inspired me to become more active and explore the unmarked beauty around me. Hundreds of thousands of tourists travel to Norway each year so why not take the opportunity to live in a place where most others only brush on the surface?

Quirky Hang Outs

Norwegian summers are warm and endless. Norwegian winters are cold and dark. This means that bars, restaurants, and clubs need to be able to accommodate for all types of environments. The result? Unique spots which entertain year-round. Some of my favorite spots have included Mabou, Kulturhuset, and Oslo Street Food. Thanks to life in Oslo, places with chill coffee shop vibes in the morning and dance music and games in the evening now hold an even nearer place in my heart.

The Basement of “Oslo Bowling” is filled with students and parents alike, all out for an evening of fun!

Ocean Views

Coming from West Michigan, I have been fortunate to visit Lake Michigan on a regular basis each year but there is nothing quite like living on the ocean. From summer beach days to FREEZING winter fjord jumps (quickly followed by a sauna session) the Oslofjord holds many dear memories.

Advice: take advantage of unique opportunities to take a swim in the fjord, freezing or not it is great for your health!

Islands

Students in Oslo only have to pay $50 for unlimited public transport each month…including ferries to nearby islands. Studying on the beach of Lindøya after class and exploring the old ruins of Hovedøya are just a couple of fond memories. Regardless of your adventure, it is quite the treat to have unique spaces just a boat ride away!

Unique Friends

I know what you’re thinking, meeting cool people from different countries and cultures is what EVERYONE does while abroad. However, Oslo is not the first city that comes to mind for most students deciding where to study abroad. This means that when a student does choose this unique location, they are likely to have a unique personality to match. Norway is not always sunshine and northern lights, it can be a cold, dark, and rainy place. With crappy weather set as a standard, students must push themselves to go out and adventure rather than wait for the rain to pass…the reality is it might not. Making friends in a place with unpredictable weather is a great way to ensure memorable adventures in memorable circumstances!

Small Town Vibes

While Oslo is the largest and capital city of Norway, it has total small town vibes. The city is surrounded by both fjord and forests and only houses ~675,000 people. I believe the Norwegian (and generally Nordic) culture in the city also contributes to such a small town feel. Despite the general shyness of Norwegians, they are still incredibly willing to help out when asked and tend to warm up in bars and clubs, which Oslo has plenty of. For the student who is nervous about leaving home for the first time, you might be surprised at how quickly this “small” big city can feel like home.

Even at 3:30pm in the city center, Oslo can be a quiet and relaxing place

Global City

Aside from oil, skiing, and beautiful landscapes, Norway isn’t exactly known for much. One thing I learned in my Norwegian History course was that Norwegians have always been GREAT at assimilation. The country is made of sailors and traders who had to interact with people from across the world, and did so as early as in the 700’s. What does that mean for the capital city of Oslo? It is a place filled with an appreciation for world culture!

While there might be a stereotype of what a Norwegian person looks like (blond hair and blue eyes) I quickly learned that the city has become almost as much of a melting pot as back home.

Norwegians are also excellent at English. As a foreigner, this meant communication was a breeze! This also meant that when attending conferences and business lectures, I could meet people from across the globe. Many travel to Oslo because it represents a progressive and sustainable country and they want to learn more.

Advice: Take advantage of the global city and attend events where you can hear ideas and meet people from unique backgrounds.

A selfie at the “Oslo Innovation Week” Opening Ceremony!

Candles and Fur

I have already mentioned that Norway can be cold and however this slight setback, in many ways opened up a wide array of beautiful coping mechanisms. One of my favorite ways the cold is combated comes in the form of cozy candles and warm furs provided at restaurants and cafes. Outdoor seating is provided year-round along with heat lamps to keep guest comfortable year-round. Despite the cool summers and snowy winters, it was always possible to feel warm and fuzzy in the city.

Check out the softest furs, all natural from Norwegian farms of course!

Peace

Oslo is home to the Nobel Peace Prize. Even back in the 1800’s when Sweden and Norway were still in a union, Alfred Nobel knew that Oslo held a special place in the world. Therefore he specified that while all other Nobel prizes would be awarded in Stockholm, the Peace Prize should always be Norwegian.

The presence of the Peace Prize resonates throughout the city through it’s policies, customs, and way of life. The Nobel Peace Center was the only location where I got a membership over the semester and was by far the place I returned to most frequently. Being surrounded by the stories and messages of Nobel Peace Laureates energized me. If looking for a place to reflect on the beauties of life and become inspired to make a positive impact, Oslo might just be the city for you!

I sincerely hope that you will consider visiting Oslo and the country of Norway at some point in life. This is a lovely place that upholds ideals which many other countries are just beginning to pursue. To those looking to find their home away from home for a semester, check out Oslo, while it isn’t the “obvious” choice you might be surprised at what a hidden gem you find!

Celebrating Thanksgiving Abroad

I love the holidays! Ever since mid-October I have been playing holiday music while studying, cooking, and just walking through Oslo’s city center. The chilly air was really helping me to get excited about the upcoming holiday season, especially after visiting snowing Tromsø and returning to a while Oslo as well.

The one thing that has made me a bit nervous about this time of year is knowing it is my first holiday away from home. Even while at WMU, home is only 20 minutes away which means I have shared every holiday of my life with my mom, sisters, grandparents, aunt and newly added uncle. To me, what makes the holidays special is spending time with close friends and family as well as baking on the daily (I’m obsessed)! The way that I decided to cope with missing out on an American Thanksgiving this year was to plan one in Oslo.

I quickly learned that few of my exchange friends, most of whom are European, have never before celebrated the holiday of Thanksgiving. It makes sense really, why would Europeans celebrate a holiday commemorating the mass immigration of many of their ancestors to a new land? Regardless, I wanted to take advantage of the chance to host my very own Thanksgiving feast and show all of my friends what makes the event so fun!

One month prior to the holiday, I created a Facebook group and added around 15 of our closest friends here in Oslo. Since Thanksgiving is a holiday all about food, I posted a list of dishes that each guest could bring and I committed to cooking a turkey, gravy, and pumpkin pie (thanks Mom for sending canned pumpkin <3). The menu was to include mashed potatoes, green beans, cheese and crackers, lingonberry jam (the Norwegian version of cranberry sauce), salad, and lots of sweets!

As the date got closer I began to face an unexpected challenge…the turkey. Honestly, I had just assumed I could find a turkey at a local grocery store as we do at home, not considering the fact that Norwegians don’t prepare turkeys around the holidays. Here a traditional holiday dish would consist more of pork rib, fish, or lamb. Since meat can get pretty pricey around here I began to sift through the local butchers shops and found a GREAT deal on chickens amounting to around $12 for three chickens. This might not seem like that great of a deal but in Norway, a pound of chicken breast can easily cost $6 so this price was a steal. A bit impulsively, I decided to order nine whole chickens and planned to pick them up Thanksgiving morning to have room to keep my normal groceries in my fridge in the meantime.

Thanksgiving morning finally came and one more challenge came with it…cooking pans. For both the nine chickens and my pumpkin pie, I was going to need baking tins. This resulted in a final grocery run to a neighborhood called Grønland which is known to have low prices on vegetables and kitchen items. Grønland is actually home to many Pakistani immigrants who are trying to built lives in Norway and this allows for them to sell items at much lower prices than other large chains in the city. Lucky for me, this is where I was able to find disposable baking tins and a cheap clay pie round which were exactly what I needed to make Thanksgiving a success.

Before any of the guests arrived, I spent my afternoon elbow deep in chickens and herbed butter (rosemary, thyme, and garlic make a FANTASTIC herb combo) and I assembled what looked to be enough food for a small soup kitchen. It is worth adding that I decided to rein myself in and only cook six of the original nine chickens ordered which now means I can eat chicken meat until I go home. The great thing about living in an apartment complex near many of my friends was that I was able to borrow a few friend’s ovens which made cooking all of the birds much less of a challenge. Every 30 minutes or so I would walk up and down my hall, knocking on doors and turning the chickens before returning to my home base apartment.

The final step was the table. Our BSN apartments here are Oslo are cute. Don’t get me wrong, on a normal evening they are perfect for my roomie Paula and I to cook dinner and chill while having enough space to veg out and unwind when needed. However, these apartments are not the best for hosting company. With the exception of a small table and three wooden chairs, we aren’t provided with much in the way of common space which meant we had to improvise to ensure all 15 of our guests could enjoy this dinner comfortably. Again, the luck of having so many of said guests living on the same floor as me meant that we could borrow their tiny tables and wooden chairs to make one giant table in my bedroom. Paula’s room became the coat room/storage room for my bed and viola, we had a dining room! I am honestly a bit disappointed that we never thought of this arrangement before because it turned out to be far more comfortable than expected!

Two American cooks (Lauren and I) prepping for dinner

Around 7pm, our friends began to arrive and filled our apartment with lots of delicious scents and chatter. We were able to quickly set the table and began our Thanksgiving feast!

The thing that was must amusing to me was learning that very few of our guests had a clue what Thanksgiving was or why we celebrated it. This was even true for our Canadian friends who celebrate Thanksgiving themselves though a month earlier than the US. Myself and Lauren, a fellow WMU student, shared a brief version of the “pilgrim and indian story” with our guests and then required everyone to share one thing they were thankful for before digging in. The general themes were being thankful for the success of our study abroad (Erasmus) experience, new friendships formed, and fun! Personally, I felt most thankful to have a family of exchange students to celebrate my first holiday away from home alongside.

Our makeshift dining room aka my bedroom

Our plates were full and for a rare moment with our friends, the room was very quiet as we enjoyed the dishes shared by the group. We ended up eating four and a half chickens and one of our friends was even able to take a whole chicken home as a “party favor” which was a pretty hilarious sight. By the time dessert came around, we were all stuffed but took small slices of pumpkin pie and Norwegian pepperkake (gingerbread cookies) along with small glasses of Italian limoncello, for digestive purposes only…

Celebrating an evening of friendship as our semester abroad in Norway comes to a close made for a perfect holiday! As we wrapped up our festivities (and rebuilt my bedroom) I couldn’t help but think that I didn’t want the night to end. I am so glad that my first holiday away from home was still spend surrounded by beautiful people who have began to feel like a family abroad!

Our beautiful exchange family ❤️

Savoring my Final Weeks in Scandanavia

The Oslo subway looking like a winter dream

Wow how time flies! It feels like just the other week that I was nervously boarding a flight to Oslo, truly terrified of what the upcoming months would hold. Now looking back of course it seems so silly as I had nothing but new friends and adventures to look forward to.

The face of a girl who was not quite ready to leave home for a semester…

Today is Sunday, December 1st and my final month abroad has just began! I am quite lucky because I will actually head to Sweden to hang out with Hilda and her family for a week before flying home to Michigan just in time for Christmas. The weeks prior to leaving are filled with mixed emotions and schedules since finals week is among us students! My last lectures were two weeks ago and now I have four exams to pass before I can finally rest easy.

In some ways, having finals week correlate with my final weeks in Oslo is quite nice. The weather here has been a bit dreary (chilly rain with little sun) especially as the sun sets around 3:30pm and that has helped improve my study habits dramatically. My love of exploring new coffee shops has also yet to end which makes studying a bit more adventurous as it can be an excuse to try out a new brew and get into the city! I am feeling especially grateful that I have finally learned to love black coffee because it’s easier on my bank account and my brain (less sugar=less mental crashing).

My savior these past few weeks, black coffee paired with a variety of sweet rolls

Knowing that I only have a few weeks left in the city has certainly made me more nostalgic than ever before. At the same time, I feel surprisingly content with how much of the city I have experienced over the past four months. I have adjusted so well to life in Norway. In many ways I feel it will be harder to adjust to life back in Michigan than it was to adjust to life in Oslo. Some of the things that had made me most nervous about coming to this city have become some of my favorite features today. For example, public transportation, meeting new friends, and traveling solo are now things that I hope to incorporate into my life back home. I think I might even miss black liquorice and the many different variations that I can try here…and that’s crazy because I always HATED black liquorice!

My wonderful roommate (right) and fellow Michigander (middle)

So the question remains, “How do I want to spend my final weeks in Oslo”? The answer has become more simple than I expected. I want to enjoy my time with the people who have made this trip so wonderful. Of course I hope to visit a few more museums and restaurants, maybe return to a favorite park or theater, but in the end I just want to celebrate the relationships that have been formed in this city. I know I can always come back and visit Oslo. What will truly never be the same is having such an eclectic group of friends in the same place. The fact is, we all are coming from countries across the GLOBE and that will be hard to replicate in the future.

A snowy adventure in Lillehammer with my friend Max

I enjoyed spending the past Thursday celebrating an American Thanksgiving with my friends and hopefully will enjoy a few more evenings in the city together before we depart. I know these next few weeks will fly by but looking back, this time spent in Norway will forever be a turning point in my life. A time when I pushed myself to truly leave home for the first time and branch out. This city is definitely feeling like home but a large reason for that is the family that I have been given through my fellow exchange family!

An international Thanksgiving, the first for the majority sitting at this table

Maintaining Relationships While Abroad

I am a very independent person. Maybe in some ways that seems obvious if I voluntarily left The States to live in a new country for a semester but regardless this is a point I wish to make. Being independent does not however mean that I struggle with or lack having strong relationships in my life. I LOVE PEOPLE and have been blessed with a personality that makes it easy to connect and build relationships with others. I have also been lucky enough to be exposed to some pretty awesome people over the years who enrich my life with their unique ideas, experiences, and perspectives!

A challenge that I have been facing since leaving the USA is simply that it can be hard to feel as connected to those I love back home when facing challenges like different time zones and busy schedules. Of course, different types of relationships are maintained in different ways so in this post, I will give some examples of ways to communicate with loved ones while studying (or living) abroad.

Things to Consider:

Time Zones – This can be one of the biggest challenges, especially since I may accidentally call someone at 3am not even realizing the issue. The way the time difference between Oslo and Detroit works is that Oslo is 6 hours ahead of Detroit. That means that when it is noon in Norway, Michigan is barely starting their day at 6am. Funny enough, this also means that as the sun rises in Michigan around 8am, the sun is starting to set in Oslo around 2pm. Strangely enough, having the sun fully set at 4pm is not as bad as it sounds, but more on that another time. The best way I have found to battle the time zone difference is to schedule time for phone and video calls. While it might seem a bit extreme, it has been the easiest way to be mindful of the schedules of everyone involved.

Note: Daylight savings really screwed with my head as for one week Michigan and Norway were only FIVE hours apart rather than six. This was due to Norway switching their clocks back one week earlier than The States. Since I had a handful of important calls and interviews scheduled during this week, it was critical for me to understand how this difference worked.

A map of time zones for reference. Check out Australia if you want to see something really crazy!

Apps – Many phone companies in The States offer international phone plans for those leaving the country for a while. Unfortunately, those back home don’t always have the ability to make long-distance calls without racking up fees. A few apps that have come in handy for international communication are WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype. All three of these allow for individuals to make audio and video calls with internet or data connection. WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger also allow for individual and group chats to be made. Our immediate family has since made a handful of group chats allowing us to share random details of our day with ease.

Sister skypes are always quite eventful.

Letters – Call my old fashioned but I LOVE to write letters home. There is something so timeless and romantic about knowing a piece of paper is physically crossing an ocean to get to its owner. Besides, I have yet to meet a soul on this earth who doesn’t appreciate finding a note for them in their mailbox. For this reason, I try to send notes home to different individuals on a weekly basis. The way I see it, postcards are a cheap and easy souvenir and it can be fun to take time seeking them out with a particular person in mind.

Letters from Florence, Italy all the way to Michigan and Iowa.

Social Media – It can be easy to view social media as a waste of time but since removing myself from my close friends and school organizations, platforms like Facebook and Instagram have really helped to bridge gaps in communication! I currently maintain an Instagram page (@lemusstudyabroad) which is dedicated to my study abroad experience and I have gotten loads of positive feedback from friends and family about how nice it is for them to see my photos. At the same time, I have had to limit my social media use at times to avoid experiencing any FOMO (fear of missing out) when seeing events back home. It is great to have a platform for mass sharing of information but I still prefer Facebook and Instagram direct messaging to actually catch up with people.

While it is not always easy to keep in touch, I feel very lucky to be living in an age when I can call up my loved ones with a press of a button. We just have to keep working on matching up our schedules so that they can answer!

My Study Abroad “Sponsors”

The study abroad scholarships that made my experience in Oslo, Norway possible!

The version of study abroad that I have been able to experience has been extremely privileged. On top of studying at a private Norwegian university, I have been able to afford studying in coffee shops, taking trips across the country (and a few in the continent) as well as occasionally eat out which in Oslo is quite the treat!

I want to be up-front about this because it would be easy for a student to view my blog and Instagram and assume that Oslo is not as expensive as it seems. It would be dishonest of me not to address the good fortune I have had in scholarships and funding as they have had a huge impact on the activities and lifestyle I have been able to participate in while in Oslo.

The truth is, Oslo is one of the most expensive cities in the world. This has been most apparent in the cost of food and housing which easily add up to $900-1000 a month depending on my level of hunger and self-discipline (belly full of pastries = wallet empty of $). While there are certainly ways to cut costs while living in this city, it is not always easy to make the 25 minute subway ride to Grønland to get cheap groceries or wear extra blankets rather than turn up the heat.

There are a few people and organizations that have helped to support my study abroad experience financially which allows me to be a little more care-free when deciding to get a coffee when studying or buying food out. These people include my parents (THANK YOU!!!!) and organizations which have provided me with scholarships to study abroad.

I will include a few links along with descriptions of these organizations below in case there are any students in the future who might be interested in studying in Oslo and have similar qualifications as myself.

A note: Several of these scholarships such as the Lee Honor’s College and Stemler Scholarship required membership into organizations prior to my departure. This is a big reason why I chose to join such organizations early in my college career. Though it may not have been clear at the time of joining, being a member in honors societies and honors colleges have certainly provided opportunities for funding that otherwise would not have been available.

Western Michigan University – Lee Honor’s College

Qualifications: Students must be a member of the Lee Honor’s College and in good standing. Students traveling as part of a WMU-sponsored study abroad program are given higher preference for funding.

The Lee Honor’s College at Western Michigan University (WMU) was founded in 1962. The honors college now serves more than 1,700 undergraduate students and offers honors courses, evening mix-it-up events, Peer Success Coaches, scholarships, and Study in the States opportunities.

While it may sound daunting to join an honors college, I absolutely recommend doing so! I look forward to developing my senior honors thesis for the college in my final year and have appreciated the chance to study in smaller classes with students who have similar goals to myself in the honors courses.

Alpha Lambda Delta – James G. Stemler Scholarship

Qualifications: Only students who paid their membership dues to Alpha Lambda Delta prior to March 1, 2020. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher. The student’s study abroad program must be taken through a US-based institution.

Alpha Lambda Delta is the nation’s oldest honors society. ALD awards 20 scholarships to outstanding undergraduate members to support their educational opportunities as part of study abroad programs. There are ten $2,000 scholarships and ten $1,000 scholarships established to help qualified members offset the costs of study abroad.

The Stemler Scholarship applicants from WMU had to submit a pre-application to the university chapter’s executive board before submitting anything nationally. This was because each university chapter was only allowed to submit 2 applications to nationals. I was lucky enough to be chosen to represent our school in the national pool of applicants and secured one of the 20 awards.

U.S. Department of State – Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program

Qualifications: Students must submit two essays as well as acquire letters of recommendation from faculty. The first essay is a statement of purpose which outlines your intention for studying abroad. The second essay is a proposal for a service project that can be completed upon return from studying abroad. If selected as a winner, the scholar must submit a follow up essay documenting their experience and outcome of the service project.

The Gilman Scholarship Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and is assisted in its implementation by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The Gilman Program provides grants for undergraduate U.S. citizens of limited financial means to study and intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic prosperity.

About 20% of applicants are awarded the Gilman and while it can take a lot of time to develop quality essays, the outcome can be well-worth the time spent. The Gilman is also extremely supportive of its scholars and provides opportunities to connect with others abroad, teach students via Skype about global learning, and gives updates about political events in the area of study.

A letter of welcome to the recipients of the Gilman Scholarship from the White House. It feels good to know that I am here in Oslo as a representative of the USA as well as my home university.

Phi Kappa Phi – Study Abroad Grant

Qualifications: Any student who attends a university with a chapter of Phi Kappa Phi can apply even if they are not a current member (I am not a current member).

The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established in 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the “unity and democracy of education”

With 75 study abroad grants being awarded each year, this is one scholarship that students should ABSOLUTELY apply for! The odds of receiving an award are great and the application process is relatively simple compared to others.

Advisors Securing scholarships for my study abroad experience would have been much more difficult had I not had the chance to speak with some wonderful mentors and advisors. Two individuals in particular were both willing to share their time and give feedback on how to improve my essays and applications while having VERY busy schedules. I am extremely thankful for the dedication these individuals had to helping their students succeed and certainly hope to do the same for students in the future!

So I know that was quick but I hope seeing a bit more of a behind the scenes look into funding gives a clearer picture into how I am experiencing Norway the way I do. I can’t stress enough how thankful I am to have the support of people across the country and look forward to returning and paying it forward to other students in the future!

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