Mobility specification

Country:Norway

Institution:University of Inland Norway

City:Elverum

Program:Erasmus+ for study

Activity type:Study

Academic year:2024/2025

MU faculty/department:Faculty of Education / Department of Social Education

Study level abroad:Bachelor

🎓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?yes

Was there anything in the teaching methods that surprised you?The teachers and their approach to the lessons are very friendly. As is typical of Norway, they don't play authority figures but rather knowledge brokers.

Does the university offer international students' programs and activities outside of lectures and seminars to help them integrate more quickly?YES! Right from the start, they organise Orientation Week, full of activities that bring students together through, for example, board games, movie nights, quizzes, etc. In the first week they also organize a big organizational information meeting and through a "Photo Hunt" activity the students have to get to know the city and the places worth visiting. Also throughout the semester they organize "International Wednesdays" when students have the opportunity to meet at the school for some prepared program.

In which areas does the university offer support for students with special needs and strive to be inclusive?Psychological counseling
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:25000 CZK/month

Did you stay in dorms?yes

What about unexpected expenses? Did anything surprise you?Price of transport. A monthly ticket is expensive and travelling between cities gets expensive too. Lillehammer - Hamar (40 minutes by train) costs 200 CZK.

Do you have any tips on how to save money?The key is definitely to cook. All the restaurants here are crazy expensive. The university offers lunches in Norway for a fine price, but still about 170 CZK. There's an online bazaar here called Finn.no where you can buy really cool cheap stuff (sometimes for free). For the warmer season, it's nice to get a bike - a monthly costs almost 900 Kč and the university is right at the end of town. For skiers, I recommend volunteering for the World Cup Hafjell Kvitfjell where you get day passes to the slopes for "days worked". For 9 days worked you get a season pass :D.

🗺 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?mostly fine

And what about transport outside the city?mostly fine

Where to find connections? How to buy a ticket?Everything is in the Entur app or Vy (trains).

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?Definitely the center, even though it's small, it's beautiful. The ski jumps and the view of the city. Balbergkampen - a mountain towering over Lillehammer with a nice view.

What are the must-visit trip destinations?Oslo and then I definitely recommend Lofoten. It will cost time and money, but it's definitely worth it!

Share your best experience:Hafjell-Kvitfjell volunteering. I had the opportunity to be part of a big sporting event and see how it all works from several angles - from the spectators as Security, from the slopes as course maintenance (so the famous racers go twenty meters past you), as help in the backroom and help in the kitchen. Although they will recommend you to be in one place all days, for me it's great to rotate it :-)

💅A nugget of wisdom to make the life easier

How did you get to the place?Plane

Is there anything to watch out for before the trip?Watch out, Oslo has two airports and one is completely out of the way. Look for Oslo Gardermoen Airport (OSL).

Can you pay by card?everywhere

What not to forget when packing?Clothes that can be layered are good. At the same time, it's definitely better to bring your own clothes than to buy them here. On the other hand, you don't need cash. You can pay everywhere by card.

🥳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?A unique experience that I will probably never have again in my life.