Report from Sarah Treiber

Photo is taken by Sarah Treiber

The university, school or company

The University of Tromsø is the northernmost university in the world. With a location on an island among Norwegian fjords near the sea and surrounded by mountains covered in snow, it takes advantage of the great diversity of nature. Students from all over the world come to Tromsø to study marine life, collect samples of the deep sea near the coast of Svalbard, or find out more about climate change in the Arctic.

Teachers at the University of Tromsø have a different way of teaching than what I experienced in Austria. They are super relaxed about their topics, the behavior of their students and the exams. Sometimes they even arrived late to class themselves or missed a certain appointment and just did not show up at all. Furthermore, they took their time explaining the topics and answering all our questions whenever we needed help. Emails were welcome and the teachers also took their time after classes to discuss unclear topics in an one-on-one setting. They really tried to make sure we all understood the content and gained confidence for the exam. They were open to our (honest!) feedback and tried to adapt their teaching accordingly. I also had the feeling that they really tried to show us the most interesting aspects about their topics and all of them were super passionate about teaching them to us.

The University of Tromsø also put a lot of effort into bringing students together. The semester started with a welcome week during which we got to know the university, the city and other Erasmus students. There were many activities organized such as mini-golf, a city tour, swimming pool visits, and a campfire. Throughout the whole semester there were plenty of activities organized by the University of Tromsø, for example, Waffles Friday, which took place every two weeks.

Regarding the University itself, I have to say that the building and interior design are stunning. Everything seems super new and well-decorated. There are so many chill-out areas, places to sit and study, but also opportunities to do sports such as table tennis rooms, ice-skating places, a big gym, and so many offers of sports classes. You can also join a sports team. The University even has two boats that sailing students can use for just a small membership fee.

Photo is taken by Sarah Treiber

School practice or working practice

Unfortunately, even after I sent many emails to all the coordinators and headmasters of all the schools in Tromsø, it was not possible to do an internship at a school, which is why I did not gain a lot of school practice abroad.

Accommodation

I stayed in student housing organized by “Samskipnaden”, which is the leading company and runs almost all of the student accommodations in Tromsø. I lived in the north of the island, a region called Stakkevollan, and my student housing village was called “Ørndalen”. There we lived together in apartments of six people, sharing one kitchen and two bathrooms. The big advantage of Ørndalen was that 90% of all the Erasmus students lived there so it felt like you lived in a small village together with all your friends and we invited each other over on a daily basis. Furthermore, we had a common room which was in a separate house where we also washed our laundry and had a sauna that we could rent for free! Ørndalen was also comparably cheap and the service of Samskipnaden was very good. Whenever something was broken or we faced some problems with anything related to the accommodation, we contacted them and after a few days the problems were solved and the facilities/furniture were fixed. I highly recommend living in Ørndalen.

Photo is taken by Sarah Treiber

The city

People in Tromsø live very close to nature. Being outside and experiencing the wild nature of northern Norway is part of the culture and is supported financially by the university and the city itself. During my Erasmus in Tromsø, there was no week in which I did not go snowboarding, skiing or hiking at least once. As a student at the UiT, I had the opportunity to rent fjellskis, snowboards, cross-country skis, as well as backpacks, tents and camping gear for free anytime. I think my Erasmus was very special when I consider that weekends were not about partying but all about exploring the arctic nature through physical activity. Cabin tours with a sleepover were the kind of weekends that became a habit during this semester.

Photo is taken by Sarah Treiber

Personality

I am sure this stay abroad has changed my personality and my perspective on the world. I am more open-minded towards other ways of living and in general have fewer prejudices. Furthermore, I stress out less about problems or when something important goes wrong. I stay much more relaxed and try to solve problems with “a cool mind”.

During my stay in Tromsø, I did not only see the most beautiful landscapes including polar lights, spotting humpback whales in the sea, as well as loads of reindeers and moose, the midnight sun, and stunning snow-covered mountain ranges surrounded by gently glittering sea surface, but I also made everlasting friendships. I met people all over Europe and beyond, with whom I developed very strong relationships within five months and whom I now consider best friends. Trying to survive the cold, dark and hostile nature of the Arctic during an 8-hour ski tour at -20° creates very strong connections and trust in each other and memories you will never forget.

Photo is taken by Sarah Treiber