Bergen
by Carina Prantl
My Erasmus semester abroad at the University of Bergen is something I am extremely grateful for. The organization and time spent at the university was great, and I made a lot of fruitful experiences throughout my stay. Before setting off to Norway I talked to other students who had previously spent their semester abroad in Bergen. They provided me with useful tips about accommodation, courses, free time activities, the Norwegian culture, public transport or how to save money in a knowingly more expensive country. I didn’t have high expectations before leaving but was entirely rewarded with great experiences, which I am sure you will have too if you decide to go to Bergen.
Accommodation campus
The university provides exchange students with an accommodation if they decide to register with the housing company Sammen. This is something I can highly recommend doing as the rooms and services provided offer everything you need. Most students end up in the student housing Fantoft where you will most likely have a shared room (winter term) or private room (summer term) with a shared kitchen. The accommodation and rooms are modern and you will find yourself living amongst other international students. There are other housing types as well such as private rooms but those are more difficult to get. Although the campus is located further outside the city centre, I really liked the location as it was close to the mountains and nice lakes and fjords. Grocery stores are close by, although the one just outside the accommodation is the most expensive one in Norway (Meny). The good thing, however, is that Bybanen (the tram that goes from the airport to the city centre) is located just in front of the accommodation which made it very easy to travel both from the airport and city centre throughout the day at regular intervals (5-10 minutes). Connections were also good at night time and the price for transportation for students is comparable to what you pay in Innsbruck and the region of the Tyrol.
University life
As an English student you will be a student of the department of Humanities, which is located up on a small hill close to the city centre and close to all the other university buildings. The building itself reminded me a bit of our Geiwi building but compared to Innsbruck the department in Bergen is slightly smaller. Studying in Norway means having fewer classes but focusing more intensely on one subject. I enrolled in two classes, one Literature and one Linguistic class, both of which I enjoyed and which provided me with theory as well as practical exercises on the subjects. In our “Modern Linguistic” class we, for example, had to analyse film scenes and use linguistic devices to decode utterances and connect them to characters‘ personalities such as age, gender or region. The staff at the university was very helpful and it was also easy to get to know local students during group projects or at organized events such as the exam pub quiz, which is usually held before the exam season to prepare students with possible exam questions. I highly recommend checking the course schedule for the upcoming terms before your departure as the amount of classes offered for international students is usually rather limited. The classes are mostly seminars, which had a pleasant learning atmosphere and were very productive.
Leisure activities
If you are an outdoor enthusiast, Bergen is certainly the perfect destination. It offers great possibilities for hiking and all kinds of sports. You can for example get a gym membership with Sammen, which is affordable and allows you to use all the student gyms throughout the city and includes access to gym classes and the indoor swimming pool and sauna. The app UT provides you with information on hiking paths in the whole of Norway and because Norway is a cold country skiing is of course also possible in higher altitudes which can be reached by train from Bergen (~1,5 hours). You certainly won’t have trouble finding friends as the amount of international students and social activities offered are high. If you want to meet the locals I can recommend to join a student organization. Whether you enjoy singing in a choir, joining a debate club or becoming a member of a sport’s club - there is something for everyone. My afternoons were always filled with spending time at the university library or joining student organization events in the afternoon. Although Bergen isn’t a big city, the student bars in the centre are usually busy and the student accommodation offers events in the evenings during the week. Of course I also wanted to explore the rest of Norway, which was easy as the bus and train connections from Bergen are very good. Bergen itself is a charming city and rightfully called the „Gateway to the fjords“. Other trips that will stay in my mind forever are camping up at the famous „Troll‘s tongue“, Trolltunga, visiting Lysefjord or spending a weekend up in Tromsø trying to spot the Northern lights.
All in all, I can only recommend spending a semester abroad in Bergen. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed and will also fall in love with the city and the Norwegian way of life as I did. I don’t mind providing you with more information if you are curious about anything else regarding student life in Bergen/Norway.