Mobility specification

Country:Norway

Institution:Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)

City:Trondheim

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Informatics

Study level abroad:Master

🎓Hit the books! How do you rate the university experience?

Can you enroll in a course where you can learn the local language?yes

Does the university offer enough courses in English?it's alright

Are your credits converted?no

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The university has a really nice campus with lots of space for students - a library, common rooms, a restaurant or cafeteria in almost every building. I found the quality of teaching to be comparable or slightly worse than at FI MUNI. As always, it depends a lot on the particular lecturer, but in every course I took, I saw room for improvement in the lectures. Each course determines when classes start and end, so some courses ended at the end of February, and others were just starting at that time. Around mid-April, however, the lectures of all the courses I was enrolled in were over, and we usually had the remaining time to devote to projects or larger assignments. The exercises are run differently than in the Czech Republic - the exercises usually just explain what the assignment is, and the rest of the time is devoted to student questions. Usually the exercise ended after half an hour to an hour and in some weeks it did not take place at all. Lectures often have good quality recordings (but not always).

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?There is a very active ESN organisation in Trondheim that organises many different events throughout the semester. These are the perfect place to meet other international students. At the beginning of the stay, there were lectures for international students where they discussed important administrative things, how studying at the university works, and life in Norway and Trondheim in general.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Barrier-free access to classrooms and dormitories
I haven’t noticed

💸Did you have to rob the bank?

Try to take a guess at what your monthly expenditures were:20000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?It is necessary to count on higher prices in general, food often costs about 2 times more than in the Czech Republic. Alcohol is really expensive here, and accommodation too. On the other hand, you can often find sports equipment in Norway for a reasonable price (e.g. Sport Outlet or XXL, or Fretex, which is a second-hand chain), which was an unexpected expense for me (and other friends from the Czech Republic).

Do you have any tips on how to save money?With a bunch of friends from the Czech Republic, we found a few ways to save money on food:
- Shop on sale. In addition to the usual discounts, stores usually have a section of food right before the clearance that is half off.
- Buy discounted items in bulk. E.g. Kvikk Lunsj cookies (the Norwegian version of KitKat, perfect for hiking), Freja chocolates, etc. Outside of the discount, one Kvikk costs before 40 Kč (same as other chocolate biscuits) and Freja over 100 Kč (same as other chocolate).
- Rema 1000 stores have 50% off all pastries just before closing (maybe it's in other chains too, we haven't tried).
- On Thursdays, food is half price at Ikea, we recommend for example the children's menu (drinks are included, and it's worth it).
- In Ikea they sometimes have a discount on chocolate, so you can buy a bar for 20-30 CZK, which is absolutely unbeatable in Norway.
- The TooGoodToGo app, where restaurants and shops offer food that didn't sell that day. Occasionally you'll get something you didn't quite want, but often you can get fancy things you wouldn't normally buy in Norway. Good experiences - Narvesen, Shell Moholt. Bad experience - Kaffebar Dromedar.
- Ferment your own alcohol. Sometimes you can find e.g. apples in worse condition in the shops for a lower price. We recommend importing good quality yeast from the Czech Republic.
- Dumpster diving. Shops on the outskirts of the city sometimes dump food that is still usable into the dumpsters. We got about 3 kg of sliced cheese, for example, or strawberries, from which we fermented a great cider.
- Go fishing. You don't need a permit to catch fish in the sea and you can get a good quality dinner. Rods (though often in less than ideal condition) can be rented for free at NTNUI Boomerang.
- If someone is visiting from the Czech Republic, ask them for alcohol.

How to save money on other things:
- Fretex. It's a second-hand chain where they have not only clothes, but also household items (dishes, small furniture, ...), sports equipment, sometimes musical instruments, and so on.
- ReStore. A volunteer student organization where students can bring things they don't need anymore, and in turn take things that someone else has left behind. A great way to get things like dishes, blankets, or a bike.
- NTNUI Boomerang. An organization that is part of the NTNUI student union, and lends sports equipment for free. You have to take into account that the equipment is not usually in top condition, but it has almost always been fully functional.

🗺 Learn the ropes in a new city

How well did you manage to communicate in English?perfectly

How does public transport work in the city?runs like clockwork

And what about transport outside the city?neutral

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?The AtB app is used for transport in and around Trondheim, nothing else is needed. The connection search in the app works well, but we also used Google Maps. You can buy short and long term tickets in the app, for a radius of about 100 km around Trondheim. Other Norwegian cities have their own apps. While transport in the city works well, there are often only a few connections to more remote areas (e.g. 1-2 a day, sometimes none at all on weekends).

Did you deal with any health issues during your stay?no

🤠Help create the perfect bucket list

What is a must-see in the city?Nidarosdomen (cathedral), free admission at Easter. From the cathedral, it's nice to take a walk along the river towards the sea, where there are iconic colourful houses that are in probably every instagram video from Trondheim. It's worth going to Tyholt Tower for dinner - it's a restaurant in a tower above the city with an exclusive view. I'd recommend making a reservation for the top floor - the whole floor rotates so the view changes, and have the student discount pizza buffet (all you can eat pizza). A picnic or barbecue by the sea is also a great experience during the indoor months.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Pretty much any hill in the vicinity of Trondheim gives you a sure view of the city. It's definitely worth heading to one of the huts from NTNUI Koiene - they're off-grid huts in the countryside, overnight stays are a nominal price, and you can get in some beautiful hikes in the Norwegian wilderness. If you want to venture further afield, it's probably best to rent a car and head towards Alesund and Geirangerfjord, which are some of the most famous tourist destinations in Norway. It's also worth going to Lofoten (we took the train to Bodo, where we rented a car). The ESN organization also organizes multi-day trips.

Share your best experience:If you're in Norway during a big national event, it's definitely worth attending. During our stay, the Nordic World Ski Championships were held in Trondheim and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing. If you're in Norway in the spring, don't miss the Norwegian Constitution Day (Norway's biggest holiday, May 17). But my best experiences have definitely come from the various trips, whether it's the chalets or the roadtrip.

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

Did you need to handle a visa?no

How did you get to the place?Plane

Can you pay by card?everywhere

🥳Summary

Whew, what a ride! 😮‍💨 Thanks so much for taking the time to complete our survey and for sharing your unique experience. Just one last thing. 🙏 How would you summarize your trip in one or two sentences?An action-packed Erasmus full of great experiences, beautiful wildlife, in a country where life is really good.