Student Experience Report

Student Experience Report
University of Stavanger, Norway
European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations (EMMIR)
January-May, 2016
Accommodation:
Two friends and I were able to find an apartment in the Storhaug area of Stavanger, which is
close to the city center (15 min. walking) and also close to the fjord and nice walking paths. We
found our apartment via finn.no and paid 13.500NOK for a three bedroom, one-bathroom
apartment. Although this area is quite far from the university, we preferred being closer to the
city than the university. It took around 30 minutes to get to the university from out apartment.
One draw-back of Storhaug is the bus connections. It is better to walk to the city center to catch a
bus from there.
University:
The university has many cafes and is easy to navigate, but is pretty far from the city center. The
organization of my program was handled by one woman at the university who was extremely
helpful. She provided us with all relevant information and offered to pick us up from the airport
and drive us to our accommodation. As far as contact with the international office, I only went to
them once in the beginning to get a document, but they were also quite helpful.
There is a large, new sports facility on campus which was very convenient and offered a wide
rang of activities. Aside from the gym, they offer group classes everyday (yoga, crossfit, body
pump, etc.), sports (volleyball, football, basketball), and a impressive rock wall. Overall, I was
quite satisfied with the university.
Free time:
Stavanger is close to many great natural attractions. Preikistolen, a steep cliff (604 meters high)
with amazing views of the Lysefjorden. The total trip takes about 6 hours, depending on how fast
you walk it and how long you stay. It is easy to reach by ferry and bus and costs about 350NOK
round trip. Kjeragbolten, a large bolder wedged 984 meters high between the mountains, is also
reachable from Stavanger and highly recommended. Of course, if you have any free time, I
would advise renting a car and traveling around Norway. It really is a beautiful country.
Aside from the nature, Stavanger is a nice city with many activities. There are a lot of festivals
and events in the city, which make it quite lively. In June the CEV Continental Beach Volleyball
Cup is hosted in Stavanger, which was really fun to watch. The court is set up in the city center.
The nightlife is also pretty good, but prices can be a deterrent; however, Thursday is student
night and some bars have two-for-one offers and waive the entrance fee.
Overall:
I have had an amazing time in Stavanger and am quite sad to be leaving. It is a great combination
of city and nature. The city is not too large, but offers everything you would need. It is easy to
take a ferry to an island and spend the day outdoors, which has been a huge plus for me. I am
planning on returning to Stavanger soon!