Things that surprised me as an Austrian student coming to Norway

“But it’s sooo expensive!”, they said when I first told my family and friends about moving to Norway. Growing up in Austria, hearing about the innovative Scandinavian school system, and the beautiful, diverse landscape. Finding out that Norway is not a part of the European Union, even though almost every other country in Europe is part of it, was a shock. When I found an interesting study program, applied and got accepted, there was no other way than finding out the truth about Norway myself. Comments from family and friends: “I always wanted to go to Norway, I will visit you FOR SURE!!!” Well, there is the people who think they know how it is, and the people who dared to figure it out, right? So here comes my first impression:

1.      Prices

Yes, it is sooo expensive, and at the same time it is not. We pay way less rent than most students in Vienna, but the cheapest wine is 4-times more expensive than in Austria (didn’t know that I would become an almost anti-alcoholic student here due to economic reasons). Although the prices for eating out in cities like Vienna and Salzburg are also approaching a critical point, in Norway it is more like a frog jumping in way too hot water. Checking the prices on the menu, and back to the beloved bread with butter and pasta at home. But all in all, I feel like it is possible to survive financially as a student in Norway. Not least because of amazing regulations like Sia-Housing, other student deals, sometimes even free food at the university events, and maybe even because of the awareness that it can get expensive quickly here.

2.      Landscape

Coming from a country that are very spoiled in mountain sceneries, the fjord landscapes are really something special – when the sun is out, it definitely seems like a dreamy place. Growing up myself, in a rather hilly than mountainous part, I heard that Kristiansand or southern Norway in general could be similar in that aspect. When I headed on the ferry in Denmark though, looking around I was doubting if Norway would define a hill / mountain in a Danish or Austrian sense. Luckily, it was in an Austrian sense, so I am already enjoying the hills here, excited to head north to explore some mountains. Moreover, I have to mention the forest, which is magically always so close, wherever you are.  The university, city centre, student housing – you are always two seconds away from the forest. And of course, being almost surrounded by the sea is always something special for someone coming from a landlocked country.

3.      Weather

“Amazing that I arrive already in August, then I can also experience some summer in Norway! “That’s what I thought before I arrived. I put on my long pants, sweater and jacket (that I planned to wear in fall). I banished my shorts, beach shirt and crop tops (that I planned to wear in summer) in the farthest corners, and I bought the warmest IKEA down-filled duvet. Started sleeping with long pyjamas, and already showered in way too hot water. To be fair, after the first “summer is over” shock, I also experienced some warm, sunny days, and with a lot of fantasy I can even start to imagine summer days at the beach or lakes. Nevertheless, I am currently preparing myself for fall in the winter-in-Austria-way. Let’s see how it comes!

4.      Sustainability

In the last years I became more conscious about the need for sustainability in everyday life, and since Norway is often in the highest ranks of development statistics, I was eager to see how much further Norway already would be in this aspect. All the more disappointed I was going to the supermarket, finding almost everything packed in plastic. For a student with limited financial resources, Norway doesn’t really support a sustainable lifestyle, even less than Austria (which is still a very low level for the level of development and knowledge we have), and that really surprised me in a negative way.

5.      Digitalization

When I signed my Sia-Housing-contract with digital signature, and they asked me to “kindly sign manually with a pen”, I was not completely sure about digitalization in Norway anymore. But the 16 new apps on my phone, and that after a few days I already missed paying with cash convinced me. All the more happy I was, when I found out that in most cases I can still pay with cash, and since then I proudly join the club of backward cash-paying retirees and annoy the salespeople who happily go to another room to exchange money for me.

6.      User Experience

Although I am not completely sure about digitalization, I definitely cannot deny Norwegians the effort to take user experience seriously. Even though, it was overwhelming in the beginning, as soon as things started to work, it was mind blowing for me how everything is designed to have the best user experience. Also, how everyone works to ensure that although it’s a lot of information, registration and apps come hand in hand.

7.      University

To be fair, I never studied at a university in Austria, but what I’ve heard so far, is that you don’t normally hear in the first lecture to think critically and question everything.  Rather the opposite: to never question the all-knowing professor with the knowledge from the 1960s. Furthermore, how the importance of study-life balance got emphasized early, as well as the independent approach, impressed me.

In a nutshell, I am extremely grateful for this opportunity to study and live in a different country, and I would love to get to know Norway so much better (please the plastic-free version though)!

I am definitely “midt i smørøyet” here in Kristiansand!