Why did you decide to study in Norway?
Early in my high school education, I set a goal to study and live in Europe. One of the criteria I used to identify potential business schools was triple accreditation (i.e. AACSB, AMBA and EQUIS). After much online research, I then visited several European Business Schools during the summer of 2017 and was particularly impressed by the universities in Scandinavia. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy visiting the Scandinavian countries, but I also found the people were very welcoming and the culture and environment felt very safe and comfortable. Upon further research, I determined that BI was at the top of my list. BI offered the English language international business program that I was looking for and was also the only triple accredited educational institution in Norway.
Right from the beginning, I found my contact with the various representatives of BI to be very helpful and supportive. Through e-mails and use of the online chat facility I was able to get answers to my many questions about the program and student housing very quickly.
Once I submitted my application to BI, I received confirmation of acceptance within a couple of days. The final deciding factor came when I was subsequently advised that I had been awarded a major scholarship covering half of the tuition costs for my full three-year program of study.
Is the university experience living up to your expectations?
My experience at BI has been everything I had hoped for and more. From the first day I arrived, my experience in Oslo and at BI has been very positive. The staff and fellow students have been very welcoming, and I feel a part of the university community. I have enjoyed the monthly dinners that BI puts on for its international students as this gives me another opportunity to socialize with other students from around the world and expand my personal network.
BI’s program is very well organized and the use of the latest technology tools help with scheduling and access to study materials. The classes you take are all laid out for you and are provided well in advance of the new term, as well as the exams dates being set before the term begins.
BI offers students the opportunity to join a wide range of social, athletic, and academic clubs which give opportunities to make friends from around the globe. I joined the Private Equity Investment Banking club, signed up for Norwegian language classes and even took a two-day Global Capital Market Solutions trading course. As one of the top teams in this class, I was given the opportunity to participate in the Nordic Trading Competition in Copenhagen, Denmark, which was held at the NASDAQ stock exchange.
Where did you find information about Norway and studying here?
I relied on the internet for my initial research. Once I was satisfied that BI’s English language international business program met my requirements, including its triple accreditation, I shifted my focus to Oslo and Norway as a whole and read everything I could on the country through various internet sites.
My research included an in-depth review of the BI web site, comparing BI’s program offerings to those of other business programs in Scandinavia and Europe. When I had specific questions about the program I either e-mailed the school or used their online chat facility to instantly connect to someone who could provide me with the information that I was looking for. In the rare occasion where the person I was speaking to did not have the answer, they would put you in contact with someone who had the answer.
Long before I arrived in Oslo, I had figured out the immigration and income tax registration requirements (so I could work part-time as a student), how to get a local cell phone (it’s quite a long process), how to get around the city using the incredible public transit system, and even where to rent a bike and buy groceries. Norway is an incredible country that I have the opportunity to study in.