Max Norbø
Country of origin: Poland
Study programme: Bachelor in Global Development Studies, Kristiansand
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Max Nordbø, I’m half polish half Norwegian and was born and raised in Poland. I am fresh out of high school (finished this July), and went straight onto studying at university. I enjoy exercising and doing stuff that doesn’t make me bored.
Why did you choose Southern Norway?
Kristiansand is the closest city in Norway to my home city in Poland, so it’s easy to fly back and forward. Oslo is also not that far. The airport is close, and the flights are cheap. The weather is also the nicest there is in Norway from what I hear, especially in summer.
What were your first impressions upon arrival?
That Kristiansand is a nice city. I have not been here before so when I arrived, I unpacked with my roommates, I arrived a week before everyone else and just explored the city. There was a lot of people in the streets shopping in the city centre. I thought it was a smaller city than I’m used to but turns out it’s the perfect size.
When you live on campus, everything is quite close by, so it's easy to do anything you want.
What is your opinion of the study programme?
I think it’s very interesting. I think that there is a lot to be learned, especially in the case of academic writing and just in the case of global politics and global development. It is a lot of self-learning, but I think that’s a good thing, especially in this programme since it's inherently political. You have to research for yourself and learn how to research, which we do during this programme, which is a very good thing.
What do you like most about Kristiansand and why?
It’s very student friendly. The transportation, although more expensive than I am used to, is very good and everything is relatively close by. Most cafés have some sort of student discount, and the student house BARE is also very good on weekends. Nightlife is very good. When you live on campus, everything is quite close by, so it’s easy to do anything you want.
What did you discover about Norway that was unexpected?
I would say the amount of people who speak English. I knew it was a lot, but I have yet to meet a Norwegian person who doesn’t speak English. Every time I went into a store I silently hoped they spoke English, which turned out the case. Everybody from young to old has some level of English skill, which is very nice.
What would you like to share about UiA and this programme to others?
I would like to share that the UiA campus is very good. I really like the design and the cafeteria I would for sure recommend to others, because it’s very affordable and the food is very good. It’s also a good place to learn or chill, you don’t need to buy anything.
Regarding my programme, I would say it’s a great way to interact with international students and people from different countries, different cultures, and learn from them. One of the things I like doing is getting different points of view, especially from different cultures, as in Poland there is predominantly Polish people. It’s just nice to hear the opinions of people from different places.