Many International and exchange students feel excluded from Norwegian society as they live far from the city and Norwegians can be difficult to get to know.
Exchange students who stay for a semester end up living at Fantoft Studentboliger. This student hall is 6.5 km from the University of Bergen (UiB), and the distance can make it difficult for Internationals to properly integrate.
– I didn’t really get to know any Norwegians at Fantoft
Fantoft can be a good social place for many international and exchange students, but not a very good place to experience Norwegian society. It is one of the cheapest studentboliger in Bergen and has the most space for incoming students. This make it very easy for it to be a location for Internationals who say they love getting to know so many new cultures.
–If you are particularly interested in meeting Norwegians, it could be a good idea to apply for one of the other student hostels, said Anniken Gjesdahl, Senior Executive Officer Division of Student Affairs.
– The Norwegian stereotype is of this cold reclusive person who you don’t really get to know.
Antoine Jurdan, on exchange from Canada, said ‘they are discrete and stay between themselves’. According to Håkon Osmundsen, Buddy Bergen coordinator at Erasmus Student Network (ESN), many exchange students find this to be the case which can make integrating very difficult. He urges international students to be open and try.
–Don’t be scared off. Norwegians are not as quiet as they seem. Most of them are willing to get to know new people.
– We are also trying to integrate Norwegians into ESN as much as we can. The buddy programme is an important stepping stone into the international community.
Buddy Bergen helps pair up international students with Norwegian students who are encouraged to get to know each other through a series of fun events. This year was quite difficult in the beginning to pair up students but at the moment ESN has more Norwegians than previously. There is also many other avenues that students can go through to explore Norwegian life in Bergen.
Anniken Gjesdahl, Student Affairs, suggest that students should check out the Tandem language programme at the university if that want to explore Norsk and get to know Norway a little more.
–UiB also offers Norwegian language courses for international students. If you know a bit of Norwegian, that’s always a good ice breaker when approaching Norwegian students or Norwegians in general!
More mentor Week?
Many exchange students found the mentor week very useful as an introduction and meeting place for Norwegians. In a poll by UiB it was found that 64% of exchange students found it a really good way to integrate with Norwegians. Unfortunately those who are only here for a semester miss out this opportunity.
– We inform them about the international student organisations, but we also want them to be aware of the organisations that are for all students. For instance Kvarteret (The Academic Quarter), the student radio and student TV.
Which many students we spoke to found this the most helpful way of meeting Norwegians. Through Kvarteret, Anaelle Girard, on exchange from France, and Gaebriel Borda, from Brazil, were able to meet many other Norwegians. Who helped introduced them to Norway by cooking them pinnekjott, ice skating with them and skiing.
ESN also allows students to volunteer through charity work and at schools which is a really interesting way of getting to know life in Bergen and Norway a little better.
