Pre- departure
My journey to Norway was a long one. Not merely in terms of travelling distance, but due in large part to the process surrounding admission into an international exchange. After finding out about the possibility of applying for an exchange to Europe, I was surprised that I had not learned of such an opportunity before. Studying abroad and experiencing a foreign culture as a student has been a dream of mine for quite some time. My sister, who studied at Stellenbosch a few years ago, was granted the option of doing her Masters in French literature & translation at the University of Strasbourg in 2006. She ended up enjoying it so much that she stayed. She has been living and working as a translator in Paris ever since. With me being 15 at the time of her leaving, her stories of seeing new places and meeting people with completely different outlooks on life set my mind on embarking on such an adventure myself. I am grateful that I have been able to realise my dream, and I would recommend an exchange to any person who has considered doing so. It is something through which I have learned more than I expected to – about the world outside of Stellenbosch, Cape Town & South Africa, the importance of challenging oneself by moving out of your comfort zone and meeting people from all corners of the world, and most importantly I have learned more about myself. Travelling alone means that you have time for introspection about the challenges and possibilities in life. Whether I was hiking up to Djevelporten (The Devil’s Gate) in the majestic Lofoten Islands, or presenting a video advertisement that I compiled in a group with British, American and Chinese students for a course in marketing – this one month that I had the privilege of spending in Norway is one which I will cherish forever.
It was not a walk in the park to get to Oslo. After two unsuccessful attempts at gaining admission into University affiliated programmes, I decided to take the initiative to organise something on my own. I did a lot of research on the internet and this period of sifting through various options ended with two vastly different choices – a course in multimedia management in music, films and art at the University of California Los Angeles; or a course with a theme exploring inter-cultural management at the BI Norwegian Business School in Oslo.
The choice came down to one of personal interest: I have wanted to visit Norway for a long time. The picteresque natural landscape, tranquil society and isolation from the quick-paced life around the rest of the world made it a place that I have always wanted to see.
The process of corresponding with BI Business School was quick and painless. I was asked for my academic transcript from the University of Stellenbosch and a motivation letter. All other relevant information was communicated to me in a timely fashion. The single thing I was asked most before and during my travels was why I would want do a course in intercultural management when I am in my final year of studying law. The reason for this is that I would like to explore as many options as possible before setting my mind on a specific career path. Spending 40 years of doing something that you find tedious would be a waste of a lifetime.
Studying law means that one is exposed to a variety of different fields and skills, such as analytical reading, critical thinking and developing a writing style which conveys one’s point in a concise way. All of these skills boil down to one thing – problem solving. And that is one of the most crucial things to be able to do – finding the most effective solution to situations which need improvement. I therefore see studying law as the perfect background for preparing one to be able to engage in workplace training in any environment necessary, whether it be in project management or handling negotiations in business.
I consulted the Exchange Office to find out about the possibility of a travel bursary, seeing as it is quite a long and expensive trip to ultimatelty find yourself at Oslo Gardemoen Airport. The International Office was extremely helpful and ended up granting me sufficient funds to finance my round trip. Cape Town – Johannesburg – Frankfurt – Oslo, and back.
To elaborate on finances, one gets around NOK 0,50 for every Rand. Considering that a loaf of bread, a slab of butter, and a packet of salami and cheese costs NOK 120 (roughly R200), I knew that the trip would be an expensive one. That is why bread, salami and cheese became my meal of choice for the following month.
Experiencing Norway
The theme of the summer course was “Intercultural Management: A Scandinavian Perspective”. The course focused on how differences in culture influence the dynamics of international business transactions. Our group consisted of 90 students from 18 countries, with about 50% of the students being from Asia. We therefore received a broad perspective on how one would need to adapt one’s method for negotiation when structuring business deals in the West and the East respectively. I was the only student from Sub-Saharan Africa, with one other being from Morocco.
The BI Norwegian Business School is the largest business school in Norway and the second largest in all of Europe. It is home to 20 000 students spread across six campuses around the country. It is EQUIS and Triple Crown Accredited, and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees (including MBA and PhD) in areas such as economics, finance and marketing.
BI offers a full set of programs for bachelor, master, and doctoral degrees, as well as executive education and tailor-made programs for businesses. Classes are presented in English (BBA and graduate programs) and Norwegian (majority of undergraduate programs and custom programs for local businesses). The school currently participates in exchange programs with 170 foreign institutions in 45 countries. The international course was presented in English by four different BI lecturers with different backgrounds, such as marketing and international business.
The program included a company visit to Telenor, the largest telecommunications company in Scandinavia. We were given presentations by two entrepreneurs from Oslo, both BI alumni, who explained the challenges that they faced in making a success out of their respective startups.
The academic program consisted of various group presentations about prescribed articles which were structured by allocating students into random groups. Although a language barrier existed at first, we were up and going quickly enough and communication was not an issue.A written exam was conducted in which we answered an essay question relating to the reading material that we received in our course bundel. Subjects which were covered included the factors which influence workplace management, cultural dynamics and consumer behaviour in different parts of the world. The workload was challenging but not overbearing, and classes took place on weekdays from 9am until 13pm.
I was satisfied with the accommodation that was offered by BI. Students had the option of living at the BSN dormitory in Nydalen, which is a five-minute walk from BI Main Campus. Nydalen is an area North of central Oslo. There is a metro station next to BI Campus, and a commute to Nationalteattret takes about fifteen minutes, which leaves one in the heart of Oslo’s city centre. I stayed in a single room in a two-room apartment. My flatmate was a Canadian about the same age as me. We shared a kitchen and a bathroom. Throughout the course of the month we alternated between cooking butter chicken and spaghetti bolognaise, as our options were limited due to the pricy nature of grocery shopping in Oslo, known as one of the most expensive cities in the world.
Norway is famous for its nature. I therefore spent two weekends travelling in the country. My first trip was to the Lofoten Islands. This expedition took me further North than I have ever been. A flight from Oslo to the capital of Nordland, Bodo, followed by a change over to a small plane and a half-an-hour flight further North took me to Svolvaer, the ‘capital’ of Lofoten. Here I hiked up to the breathtaking “Djevelporten”, or Devil’s Gate. A boulder suspended between two cliff faces was the only thing between me and a sheer drop of hundreds of meters. I befriended a local who was familiar with the area and terrain. A crazy experience!
I was lucky in the sense that every day was well over 25 degrees and without a cloud in the sky, which is unusual this far North. I tasted whale and reindeer meat at the town market and searched for a place to watch the FIFA World Cup, and I was pointed in the direction of the Styrhusset (steerhouse) pub, an underground fisherman’s haven where ice cold Nordlands Bryggeriet is served: The most northernly brewed beer in the world.
My second trip involved a train ride to Bergen on the west coast. The journey was a truly unique experience of over seven hours long. This particular railway is the highest in Europe, as it takes one to more than 1500m above sea level. From snow capped mountains, to lakes and endless forests of spruce trees, to small towns, gletzer rivers and hundreds of tunnels along the way, it was quite a sight. Bergen is famous for its fish market along the harbour, the historical Bryggen area, and the funicular which takes one up Mount Floyen. It is also synonymous with rain, as Bergen receives over 200 rainy days a year. I was lucky with warm, sunny days during my stay.
This trip also included a day of hiking in the nearby region of Matredal. We did some fishing, picked wild strawberries and swam in a cool lake on a mountaintop.
I researched which bands would be playing in Norway during my time in the country, and booked tickets to see Pearl Jam at the Telenor Arena and Future Islands at the intimate Parkteatret venue. Both concerts were fantastic. The FIFA World Cup was shown on a big screen at the town hall in the city centre of Oslo. The atmosphere was a highlight and thousands of people attended the screenings daily.
Back to Stellenbosch
I would recommend an exchange to any student who has considered doing so. It is an opportunity that might only come across your path a few times in life. I learned not only through lectures, presentations and exams, but by meeting people from different walks of life who gave me fresh perspectives. Functioning on a tight budget on your own is a challenge which grooms you for the world outside of Stellenbosch. This is a crucial skill to develop, as it is too easy to become content with a routine which is by no means sustainable over the long term. I would like to thank the International Office of the University of Stellenbosch for their financial support and advice throughout the whole process. The journey was one I will never forget!