Portrait

Julia Pöchtrager

My semester abroad at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway

Why my semester abroad was an enriching experience:

First of all, Norway is a beautiful country with a diverse landscape. From the deep fjords to the high mountains, there is an eye-catching sight everywhere and taking trips is always an adventure. Trondheim is also a vibrant city and has a lot of activities for students, ranging from a variety of sport clubs, going out, to enjoying nature around the city and much more. The number of courses for business students that are offered by the university allows everyone to find something they are interested in. I specifically enjoyed one project that we did with a local student organization about their sustainability performance and how to improve it in the future. I think the combination of all those things really completed my experience in Norway.

This is what I learned about myself abroad:

One thing I learned is that trying new things, especially alone, seems scarier than it really is. Even though there were four of us from GMM in Trondheim, I had one university course that none of the other three girls took and I joined a sports club, also on my own. I was nervous at first, but I quickly realized that there is nothing to be scared about. The fact that I knew no one in that one course and in the sports club actually made it simpler to get to know new people.

This is how I got to know new people abroad:

One way to get to know other international students is joining ESN events. ESN organizes parties, trips and other events like food tastings or sip & paint, for example. Especially at the start people will quickly have some small talk with you because no one knows each other. Of course, going out also can lead to funny interactions and potentially, making new friends.

Another way is definitely joining a sports club. NTNUI (the sports organization of NTNU) has a wide variety of sports you can try, some with entry requirements but also a lot without. This is a good way to get in contact with Norwegian students.

This is what I learned about the culture in Norway:

Even though Norwegians value their privacy and personal space, they have a deep connection to their families and communities. It may be hard at first to build a relationship with them, but once they know you better they become more open, which can actually lead to very personal and deep conversations. Norwegians can have quite a dry sense of humor, which was hard to understand for me at first, but at the end, I appreciated their direct delivery of jokes. Additionally, Norwegians are deeply connected with their country and nature. Being outdoor and doing sports is essential to them, even in cold or harsher conditions.

These were the biggest challenges I had to overcome:

I think one of the biggest challenges for me was to really understand Norwegians and their culture. Even though it feels very “European” at first, there are a lot of differences which you only really realize after spending some time in Norway. Another challenge was to really get out there and meet new people when you already have an “established circle”. Due to the fact that we four GMM students lived together and have also gotten along very well before the semester abroad, it was comfortable to just do things together. However, we made some really great friends and ultimately, did not do everything together. Of course, being away from home, your family and friends is another challenge.

Why I would do it again:

Spending time abroad, gaining new cultural and academic experiences is always valuable for your life, whether it is personal or professional. You learn a lot about yourself, realize what really is important to you and conquer challenges that you do not have to overcome when you are in your comfort zone. Additionally, as you are already in the country, you have a lot of opportunities to travel and do trips that you would otherwise maybe not do.

The best experience / moment abroad was:

One of my favorite moments was the first snow in Trondheim. We were at an event in the city and when we got off the bus at our student accommodation at around half past midnight, there was multiple centimeters of snow. Everything sparkled in the light of the streetlamps. The first thing we did was to throw some snowballs at each other and then we made snow angels in the parking lot.