Zarrah Amelie
Country of origin: Indonesia
Study programme: Master in Business Administration, specialisation in Finance
Tell us about yourself!
My name is Zarrah, I am from Indonesia. Originally I am from Surabaya, but I did my bachelor's degree at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta. After I graduated in August of 2024 I spent some time working part time jobs before moving back to Surabaya. Later, I got my first job as an academic assistant back in my faculty at UGM. And then I got an offer to do my master’s degree here on a scholarship.
Why did you choose Southern Norway?
It was initially not my plan to do my master's here. Once I was accepted as an academic assistant, my senior lecturers informed me about the opportunity to do my master’s degree at UiA on a scholarship and advised me to apply for it since the programme aligned with my specialisation, which is Finance, and will help me accelerate my path toward my long-term goal of becoming a lecturer. Around one month after I sent my application, I received the offer to take my specialisation here, which I am very thankful for.
What were your first impressions upon arrival?
When I arrived here, it was raining and quite cold. I loved how friendly everyone was, and how the buddies really helped us. They picked us up at the airport and helped us with getting the luggage to the student housing.
I love how the buildings are surrounded by nature.
What is your opinion of the study programme?
It's quite intensive and challenging! The system and academic environment here is quite different from back home. I do enjoy it though, because it’s a study programme I am really interested in.
What do you like most about Kristiansand and why?
I like the city a lot, because it's walkable and there aren’t many cars or busses in the city centre. I also love how it’s close to the beach and the sea, so I can just walk around the area with my coffee enjoying the view.
What did you discover about Norway that was unexpected?
Maybe how closed off some Norwegians can be. I also didn’t research that much before I came here, so I didn’t expect Norway to be so windy. The temperature is not that bad, but the wind is what makes it cold.
What would you like to share about UiA and this programme to others?
I find my programme really interesting because I get to learn things that I didn’t get the chance to learn in my bachelor's. I really like the fact that I can study more about quantitative research methods, such as Financial Econometrics. I am excited for the opportunity to develop technical skills that will be useful for my career.
I love how the buildings are surrounded by nature. A huge plus is that the university is open 24 hours, so I do not need to worry about the library’s closing time and can spend as many hours as I want there.