Master’s student Shegaw Marie Bishaw, one of NURTURE’s staff exchange members at USN for the Fall of 2024, reflects on his journey to Norway as below:
The Dream of Norway:
Shegaw Marie’s long-time dream of visiting Norway had always been inspired by Norway’s stunning landscapes, fjords, and the Northern Lights. His friends who traveled to Norway before had shared stories of its beauty, culture, and warm people with him fueling his desire to experience the country. Seeing Norway in the movies and seeing it in person for him has been realizing a deeply cherished dream.
Preparation for the Journey:
He reflects on how the passport renewal process in Ethiopia had been unexpectedly long, difficult, and delayed. However, with the help of Dr. Asrat Atsedeweyn, he successfully managed to go through the process faster and learned to prepare even earlier next time to avoid bureaucratic delays. He also reflects on the challenges and lessons learned while he was applying for the visa through the VFS Global office in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, his first interaction with an international embassy-related authority. Challenges such as finding the location, exhaustive security checks, document submission, etc.
The Journey to Norway:
He then tells the story of how he flew from Addis Ababa to Stockholm in Sweden and then from there to Oslo in Norway. He reflects how excitement had held him awake during this long flight all the time. He then shares how he arrived on the 13th of December 2024, was recognized by the immigration officer quickly as one of the NURTURE exchange students from Ethiopia, was welcomed by NURTURE project assistant, Hosein, and then had a ride from the Airport to Hønefoss.
Settling in Norway:
Regarding accommodation, he then shares how USN’s provision of housing had been well-organized, modern, and even smart technologically. Regarding academic life at USN, he highlights how the USN’s structured and welcoming academic system made the transition into classes seamless for him. He shares how USN had sessions for the new incoming students making settling in easier, and how its diverse group of students made the international learning experience satisfactory. He also highlights how knowledgeable, approachable, and supportive academic staff fostered an engaging learning environment for him. Regarding social life and cultural experience, he shares how the international student community was warm and inclusive, how the coffee hours helped socialize, and how the participation in Global Week allowed all the students to showcase their cultures through food, music, and traditions. He also shares how he enjoyed visiting the Kistefos Museum with other international students. He then appreciates the help received from Emilie Kjørvik, the international student assistant.
Life Skills and Adaptation:
He reflects on how he elevated his life skills and adapted as he had to cook, clean, use smart IoT technology in smart housing, and adapt to Norway’s extreme seasonal characteristics such as winter nights and summer’s midnight sun.
Exploring Norway:
He shares how he went on a tour in Oslo with Professor Shegaw the NURTURE project manager, Hosein, and Berhanu Fikadie his exchange mate from the same university, the University of Gondar. He highlights how on the tour he visited different places in Oslo such as the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the parliament, authentic Ethiopian cuisine, etc. which made him gain deeper insights into Norway’s history, culture, and architecture.
Advice for the next Students:
Shegaw Marie then suggests the next incoming exchange students learn Norwegian to ease their daily life while English is common. He suggests they ask for help as Norwegians are friendly and willing to assist. He highlights that the payments, transport, and dormitory doors essentially require cell phones. He suggests comparing prices and shopping wisely as some shops are more affordable for students. He advises dressing properly for the unexpected weather, especially in winter, and engaging in social activities to overcome loneliness as indoor dorm life can become isolating. He then suggests being prepared for high costs, being smart in expenditure, and respecting privacy and environmental values in Norway.
Acknowledgment and final reflections:
In the end, Shegaw Marie expresses his gratitude to various individuals and institutions that helped him all through his exchange. The NURTURE Global Project, the University of South-Eastern Norway, and the University of Gondar for making this happen. Professor Binyam Tilahun, Professor Shegaw Mengiste, Hosein Kazemi, Berhanu Fikadie, Dr. Asrat Atsedeweyn, and Emilie Kjørvik for their guidance and support. Ultimately, he shares how living in Norway was life-changing for him, offered personal and professional growth, impressed him with natural beauty, technology, education system, and work ethics, challenged and experienced him to adjust to irregular daylight hours, and reinforced his power of perseverance, cultural exchange, and embracing new experiences.
You can read a more and more detailed version of his experience in his own words in the PDF file below: