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.