Norway – Zachary

Student: Zachary
Course: Bachelor of Commerce / Bachelor of Arts
Program: BI Norwegian Business School Summer School, Norway, June–July 2024

Did you go on any memorable trips to explore your host country or maybe a nearby country?

In the second week of my 3-week intensive program, I took a trip to Norway's second largest city, Bergen, with 3 friends from my program for the weekend. It was only a short 45 minute flight from Oslo, so we were able to have 2 full days to explore the city. Our first day consisted of wandering around the Bergen city centre, visiting a local fish market and taking photos of the stunning Bergen harbour, while exploring the nightlife later that night. We set off on a hike for the second day, climbing across 4 of Bergen's 7 mountains that overlooked the city, taking in an amazing view from an observation deck.

How did you make friends and what sort of things did you do together?

I was fortunate enough to make friends with many people from all over the world from my time in Oslo. The BI organisers made it super easy to meet others, hosting a welcome party on the first night of arriving, where I was able to converse with everyone who was involved in the study program. I spent a bunch of my spare time in the student accommodation, meaning I was around my roommates who also were apart of the Summer School. We often shared cooking duties for dinner, while also hanging out at the local Sognsvann lake, taking trips to the city to watch the Euros and exploring the Oslo nightlife.

How did you decide which study abroad opportunity to do?

When I was first interested in doing a short term partner program abroad, I narrowed down the location to Europe, as I was interested in visiting many countries throughout my trip. I ultimately chose Oslo, Norway, firstly because the course offered at BI aligned perfectly with my Marketing major. While Norway was a country I wouldn't have thought to have the chance to visit due to its distance from Australia and I wanted to be able to explore its natural beauty and culture.

What was something that challenged you?

Learning and adapting to living with 5 others in a shared accommodation was definitely challenging at first, especially coming in to the program not knowing these people. Going into the program was the first time living and sharing with strangers, which definitely challenged me. Aside from one, all of my roommates came from a different place and culture to me, so learning to live alongside others from different cultures was extremely foreign to me.

Learn more about the BI Norwegian Business School Summer School