Semester abroad in Trondheim, Norway, 2021
A semester at NTNU in Trondheim (Norway)
By Lena Wenkebach
I got an Erasmus exchange place in Trondheim for the spring semester 2021, which went in Norway from 07.01. to 11.06.2021. This was not possible through my institute (Institute of Geosciences), because there is no exchange with Trondheim through this institute, but outside the subject through DaF (German as a foreign language) with Dr. Dorothea Spaniel-Weise. That worked out wonderfully. It is worthwhile to apply to other institutes - it is then your own responsibility to see if suitable courses are offered at the host university. I chose Trondheim because I was attracted by the Norwegian culture and landscape, and NTNU is the largest university in Norway with a very good reputation.
Funding
I financed myself through my usual income, and the Erasmus scholarship with currently 450 euros per month. The money from the scholarship was not even enough for the rent, so it is important to have enough reserves. The last third of the money you also get only after the stay abroad. I also spent quite a bit of money on travel within Norway (but it was absolutely worth it!). Food is also really expensive compared to German prices. So be sure to think about financing early.
Apartment
The host university (NTNU) took a very long time for the acceptance. Only a few weeks before the start of the trip I got the acceptance, which was probably due to delays because of the Corona situation. Because housing in Trondheim is scarce, you should start looking for an apartment early, so I then agreed to an apartment, although I did not yet have the commitment of the host university - that was risky, but luckily it worked out. The cheapest apartments can be found at the student union of NTNU, "Sit". It is quite easy to apply for this by checking the appropriate box in the host university application. Because I wanted to go to Norway in the middle of the Corona Pandemic, there were some problems on the part of NTNU, so that unfortunately there was only little living space available at Sit during my exchange semester. I ended up staying at Rosenborg Studentby, which was still a private dormitory at the time, but has since become part of Sit. I was very happy with my choice, the dormitory is very modern with a nice roof terrace and a good view, the location is good, and you have a lot of company in the 7-person shared flats. Unfortunately very expensive with 580 euros per month, but you have to expect such high prices. On the website of NTNU there are practical tips and links to the various dorms, which helped me a lot. You can also search for accommodation via finn.no, the Norwegian ebay kleinanzeigen, and via Facebook.
Arrival in Norway (flight, quarantine hotel, clothing)
I arrived in Trondheim by plane via Amsterdam. Due to the strict Corona measures on the part of the Norwegian government, I had to take a Corona test before and after arriving in Norway. Arrived in Trondheim, I had to spend a 10-day quarantine in a quarantine hotel, the costs of about 500 Euro (5000 NOK) were fortunately covered by NTNU.
I traveled to Trondheim on New Year's Eve, at a particularly dark time of year with only a few
hours of sunlight per day. It was -15 degrees at the beginning of my stay abroad. I advise everyone to get good and warm clothes already in Germany. I was well prepared with
Merino wool underwear, hiking boots as well as winter shoes, lined gloves, scarf,
hat and a windproof winter jacket. Spikes I had to get then additionally still, because
the ways were partly so icy that the profile of my winter shoes was not sufficient. The
cheapest is the sports store "XXL Sport" in Trondheim, in the city center are also two Intersport to find.
The city of Trondheim
Trondheim is a very pretty and lively student city. There is everything from the beach (Korsvika), to harbors, the hiking area Bymarka, a chic downtown for shopping, a cozy old town with cafes, and a large, modern university. In my eyes, Trondheim is the perfect city to study. The only deterrent are the prices: Alcohol is very expensive, just one beer in the supermarket costs the equivalent of 3 euros. People are generally very friendly and polite.
Course selection
I selected my courses via the online module catalog at the university and discussed with my contact person at my institute which courses I could have credited to me. That went very smoothly. The only obstacle was that the courses at NTNU usually bring 7.5 LP, but at the University of Jena no half LP can be booked. Therefore, it had to be decided for each course whether 7 or 8 LP would be recognized.
In addition to the relevant courses, a Norwegian for beginners course at NTNU is highly recommended. At home, you can already start with an online course without registration, simply via the website https://www.ntnu.edu/norwegiancourse/norwegian-on-the-web. External link
The lessons
All my modules were in English. I had mainly online classes, which made contact with other fellow students more difficult. Instead, there was more group work than I was used to at German universities. In online classes, this meant group work in breakout rooms followed by a presentation in almost every lecture. On the one hand, this was more interesting than purely rontal classes, but on the other hand, usually only 15-20 minutes were scheduled for group work, which led to a lot of time pressure and stress. In itself, however, I found the idea quite good. I liked the courses "Global Change Biology" and "Sustainable Management of Ecosystem Services" the most, because there were a lot of new and interesting things for me. In the latter, we even made a small excursion to an aquaculture, which was very exciting. Overall, NTNU is very modern and well organized, a very good university! You also got a quick answer to emails.
Excursions
On the weekend there was plenty of time to explore Trondheim's surroundings. Great is the hiking area Bymarka, which can be reached quite easily by bus. There you can go cross-country skiing in winter (skis can be rented for little money at the Skistua directly in the ski area, or for free at Bumerang, a rental station for equipment of all kinds for students of NTNU). You can also go hiking, of course, and hut hikes are also very popular. Cabins can be rented for little money and then you can spend the night in the middle of the forest without electricity or water, heated only by wood stove, and if you are lucky you have a sauna with you. One of my most beautiful moments in Norway!
Holliday
During the Easter vacations and at the end of the semester, there was time to travel further afield. I was in Tromsø, a popular destination far in the north, but the city is less spectacular - but you can make great trips and downhill skiing if you have a car. Then in the summer I went to Lofoten with friends I met during Erasmus. Lofoten is incredibly beautiful and recommended! You can take the train to Bodø for 30 euros, and from there you can take the ferry to Lofoten for free. There it is then recommended to rent a car. We stayed in a really fancy cottage and then made day trips with hikes, which was an incredibly great vacation.
Summary
I would recommend a semester abroad to anyone. I made international friends, got to know a new country and language, went on great excursions and vacations, and learned a lot about the subject. I was also able to improve my English. Norway was the perfect choice for me, the friendly people and the spectacular landscape fascinated me. I am very happy and grateful that I was able to get financial help through Erasmus, otherwise my semester abroad probably would not have happened. It's great that Erasmus exists. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at lena.wenkebach@gmail.com
