The semester is very compact, but it’s nothing hard to handle. We have field trips and lab activity.
Sevan Esagholian from Armenia
Master in Coastal Ecology
My name is Sevan Esagholian. I’m 28, I’m Armenian but I live in Iran. I have a Bachelor's degree in Biology and I started a Master's degree in Coastal Ecology. My hobbies include watching movies with my wife, playing the guitar and recently riding my bike.
First of all, the education is free, I think that’s great. My second reason is because Norwegian culture is amazing: I love the nature. I did research about the country and culture and it amazed me, and that’s why we decided to move to Norway. I am here with wife. She has a master degree in architecture and she is currently looking for a job.
First of all, Kristiansand as a city attracted me the most. The UiA website accurately described the course and programme I wanted.
The first time I was here was at the Orientation day, we gathered at the seminar room, and they had this lecture about the general programmes at UiA, about ESN. Everyone was so friendly so it was very warming and welcoming. ESN and the buddies were very helpful on that day and now we are current active members of ESN as well.
The course is very interesting. The professors teach us very well. The semester is very compact, but it’s nothing hard to handle. We have field trips, lab activity.
I like the peacefulness. It’s not too crowded. It’s a very relaxed city, especially for me. I come from Tehran, a very busy and crowded place. The population is 8 million people, so very different when compared to Kristiansand *laughs*.
There’s no Turkish coffee here! In Norway, people drink French coffee or espresso, so nobody drinks Turkish coffee. So my mum had to send me some.
The energy and the feeling of society inside UiA is amazing. Everyone is so warm and friendly. The courses and programmes are very interesting, and you enjoy studying. The library is amazing as we can enjoy studying in a peaceful place.
We have this module, in which we need to prepare a presentation. They give us an opportunity to choose any topic related to marine biology. The main purpose is to follow your interest and to find a topic that you care about. In my opinion it’s very interesting and cool. I haven’t chosen my topic yet, I’m working on it.