I prefer the research methods and study techniques used here; I also really like the student environment at UiA.
Neginasadat Neghabat
Master in Coastal Ecology
My name is Neginasadat Neghabat. I come from Tehran, the capital of Iran. I completed my Bachelor's degree in Plant Science there. After that, I did another Master’s in Developmental Biology, also in Iran. Right now, I am studying in the Master’s programme in Coastal Ecology at UiA.
In my spare time, I like watching movies and TV series. I also enjoy going to the cinema, hanging out with my friends and spending time in nature.
My sister lives in Oslo and I had previously visited her there. I really liked it in Norway, so I did some research on courses related to Biology. I applied to a few universities in the country and got in to UiA. Coastal Ecology is just right for me.
I had seen the university campus in Oslo, because my sister works at the library there. However, I noticed that UiA offers more services to its students, such as the Global Lounge. I can see that the great majority of the international students get together in Global Lounge and are connected as a community.
I was very pleased that the university provided us with so much information during the first week. We received a city tour and got important information on the facilities. I was very impressed.
Here, the courses finish at different times. In my case, I have five subjects in total. Three of them started on the first day of the first semester. Two of them finished after one month and a half. Soon after finishing those courses, we had our final exams. Now, we have started with the remaining courses. I like this method, because it makes the theory easier to understand and study.
I really like my dormitory. It is so comfortable! It is also really near the university. I also really like the library here and the building 46, where I can study on Sundays.
The university has great services, such as the gym, which has affordable student prices. I also really love taking part in ESN Sunday events and the weekly Coffee Hour that they host.
The prices! I am not working here and I don’t have any funds or scholarships. However, I like that the supermarkets have weekly offers. REMA 1000, for example, has good prices. I would like to learn Norwegian and eventually get a job here.
I prefer the research methods and study techniques used here. I also really like the student environment; everyone takes lots of notes on their laptops in class. I would like Iran to become more technological and change their teaching and learning methods. I think it is important to promote the use of technological devices (such as laptops) in Iranian education.
The relationship between teachers and students is very positive in Norway. One can speak to them comfortably. In Iran, we don’t have that type of relationship: we address the teachers by their last name and we don't feel we are on the same level. If we call our teachers by their first name, we are being impolite. Instead, we call them Professor or Doctor as they are more educated than us.
The greatest opportunity UiA has given me is to be accepted here. I am student of a great study programme and I have a lovely dormitory.