I left to study astrophysics in Norway at the beginning of the new year and arrived in a frigid and snowy city bustling with activity. Being so far north, the city of Oslo has long dark winters, and when I arrived there was only about seven hours of daylight each day. However, there was still so much to do, like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, sledding, and ice skating.

I spent my first few weeks in Norway exploring the city and campus and enjoying the winter sports abundant in Scandinavia with the six other students I lived with in my university apartment. These students were also on exchange, from places all over Europe, and became my closest friends while abroad. The connections I made with them have lasted even past my return and are some of the strongest relationships I’ve ever formed. We took trips together to places like Stockholm and Copenhagen, cooked Sunday dinners together, tried cuisines from around the world and from our respective homes, and spent long hours out by the lake trying to see the northern lights. The friendship I developed with each of my roommates made my time in Norway incredible and has changed my standard of interpersonal relationships.

Despite my fun personal adventures, I did come to Norway to learn more about astrophysics and Norwegian culture. I took a cosmology class while at the University of Oslo, which helped me decide that I’d like to spend my career studying cosmology. This course also helped me develop technical skills related to my field and gave me another perspective on how other cultures view astronomy and physics. I also got a better understanding of how academia works in other countries, as I had little to no homework and most of my final grade came from one or two exams. While it was stressful to have each exam count for so much of my grade, it opened up lots of free time for me to hang out with friends at the gym, or the many on campus student pubs. Furthermore, I took a Norwegian language course and learned more about the culture from my Norwegian friends. I found that the Norwegian people are very private, and often keep to themselves, unless you run into others while outdoors, where it’s common to have conversations with strangers. I love how active Norwegian culture is. It’s nice to meet so many people that have similar interests as I do, and who build easy access to the outdoors into their society.

My experience in Norway was truly amazing, and I’m so glad I decided to study abroad and was supported by scholarships from MSU to make it affordable. Going abroad helped me make life-long friends who I wouldn’t have met otherwise and helped me experience the wonderful and rich Norwegian culture. I’ve vowed to go back and visit more of Norway once I graduate, as I’ve fallen in love with the country and its lovely people.

• Name: Sophie Hodgson
• Status: Senior
• Major: Astrophysics
• Hometown: Boulder, Colorado
• Program: University of Oslo