How is the transition from living in America to living in Norway?

Question

I am currently a philosophy major at a University of California, Los Angeles. I think I would really like to live in Norway, or at least visit it after I graduate with my degree. Will it be easy for me to get a job there with a philosophy degree? How will the living situation be at first since I will not be settled? Do you think adapting to the weather will be very difficult since I'm so used to the warmth over here? I know they have a much better economy than America currently does, so how much money do you think I should have saved up before going there? Answers and opinions would be very much appreciated!

Answer 1

That's a pretty broad question, so this will be kind of a long answer!

The cost of living is extremely high.  According to the last study by The Economist, the cost of living in Oslo was 23% higher than in New York City.  To give you an idea, the budget recommended for international students at the University of Oslo is around $1600/month, and that takes into account student concessions that aren't available to non-students.

Honestly, as an American, the cost of living will probably be the hardest thing to adjust to at first.  Even things like groceries can take some getting used to, since things that are inexpensive in the US may not be in Norway.  For example, the average cost of chicken b*****s works out to almost $15/lb, while frozen salmon may only cost $3/lb.  Imported "comfort" foods can be extremely expensive.  For example, a box of Kraft macaraoni and cheese can cost over $8, although there is a local variety "American Classic" that costs just $3/box.  Similarly, I once spent $8 on a Betty Crocker cake mix to make a birthday cake.  Ouch.  However, like the salmon, there are some less expensive grocery options, and learning to take advantage of these can definitely help your budget.  For our first few months in Norway, we actually ate mostly vegetarian meals at home, because meat is particularly expensive.  Oh, and I'm sure you know that the price of alcohol is ridiculous!

Another thing that can be difficult to deal with when you first arrive is the shopping hours.  Almost everything is closed on Sundays, so be sure to buy groceries ahead of time!  And while supermarkets stay open in the evenings until 8 or 10pm, most other shops close at 5 or 6.  If you work regular hours, this means that the only available shopping time is really Saturday morning (some places close at 3 on Saturdays), so things are very busy then.

Adjusting to the weather isn't as bad as you'd think.  Buy a warm jacket and a good-looking lightweight raincoat before you leave the US, because sportswear, though it's very high quality, comes with a very high price tag.  However, there's a traditional Norwegian saying that "there's no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing," so Norwegians tend to be out and about when it's cold, raining, etc.  (Hence the good-looking raincoat, because you'll probably be wearing it a lot.)  Coming from a warm climate, the first winter will be tough, but your body will probably acclimatize more quickly than you expect.  By the next summer, you may even be running around in shorts when it's only 65°F and swimming in the fjords!   It is true, however, that Norway doesn't get as cold as people think (don't tell anyone, because I swear that's what keeps the population low ;-) ).  The coldest areas are in the center of the country, where the elevation is much higher.  Along the west coast (especially the southwest around Stavanger and Bergen), the climate is a lot like Seattle.  Mild winters, cool summers, and LOTS of rain.  Oslo varies a bit more with warmer summers (temperatures usually top out around 90°F and are more often in the 70s when it's "warm").  Winters are colder than the coast and usually have some snow.  Temperatures usually hover at or just below freezing, and cold spells can keep temperatures down in the teens (F) for a week at a time.  It only rarely reaches 0° F, and there's very little wind, which significantly lessens the effects of wind chill.

I think the hardest part of the climate to adjust to is the light.  Originally I thought that I would have a problem with the dark winters, but while the long dark days can get a little depressing, lighting is an important element of design in Scandinavia, and soft indoor lighting, unique fixtures, and an abundance of indirect (instead of overhead) lighting make most buildings and homes pleasant even in the dark months.  Candles are extremely popular, and in the winter shops and restaurants often put large candles outside their doors on the sidewalks as a kind of "welcome" sign.  It's surprising how much cozier it makes the city streets!

Instead, my problems adjusting came in the summer and the shoulder months.  To change from the long summer to the short winter days requires a sizable change in daylight each day, and sunrise/sunset change noticeably in as little as a week.  This can really s***w with your internal clock, and it makes it extremely hard to judge the time of day accurately without actually looking at a clock.  In the summer, I thought that with the early sunrise, I would be able to wake up earlier in the morning for work, but it turns out that I instinctively stay up very late because the sun doesn't set until after 10pm.  Also, without dark curtains, the light can make it difficult to sleep soundly.

Also, as an American, you'll probably notice a few differences in society.  First, I don't find people to be as consumer-driven as they are in the US.  People tend to have small homes/apartments, small closets, and not a lot of "stuff."  (An average apartment size in the city for a single person is around 500 sq.ft., but many students live in less than 300sq.ft.)  Norwegians are more likely to spend a huge amount on one high-quality item rather than many less-expensive things.  I don't see much of a stigma to wearing the same few items of clothes over and over, which makes sense since closets are incredibly small (usually just wardrobes set up in the bedroom).

There is also more of a communal mentality, and the good of the many often outweighs the good of the few.  This is expressed to some extent through Janteloven, although that's certainly more extreme than you see in the day-to-day world.  As an example, in the workplace, more people seem dedicated to the success of a project as a whole, and you see fewer people who are out to further their own careers at the expense of their colleagues.  I've actually heard that some foreigners have had difficulties interviewing for jobs, because when they tried to outline their qualifications, they stood out too much instead of blending neatly into the group.

Nature and the outdoors are also quite important to most Norwegians, and outdoor activities are all very popular.  Cross-country skiing is the favorite in the winter, and in summer trekking and camping are wildly popular.

I would recommend that you try to find a job offer before you move.  Finding a job as a philosphy major may be quite difficult unless you speak fluent Norwegian.  While there is a strong need for technical skills like engineering in the IT and Oil/Gas industries, I've heard a lot of stories of foreigners who found it difficult to find jobs without a very strong knowledge of Norwegian.  Most of the Americans I know living in Norway are either married to Norwegians, moved here for technical careers or as transfers through international corportations, or spouses of those who moved over with job offers.

Norway will allow EU, EEA (European Economic Area), or EFTA (European Free Trade Association) citizens to live in Norway for up to six months without a residence permit to look for work, but as an American, you will likely need to have a job offer before you can obtain a residence permit.  A few exceptions to this include marrying a Norwegian, or those who plan to be self-employed and start their own business.  You can find extensive information on the requirements and application process at the UDI (Norwegian Directorate of Immigration) website:  http://udi.no/templates/Tema.aspx?id=447...

One other alternative is to get a student visa and study in Norway.  Norwegian universities do not charge tuition, and fees are relatively low, so the only significant expense to studying in Norway is the cost of living.  Most of the Norwegian universities offer Master's programs that are taught in English, so you could continue your studies while improving your Norwegian (if you aren't already fluent) and improve your chances of finding employment when you're finished.  Also, as a student in Norway, you are elligible to work part-time to help cover the living costs.  You can find a lot of information about studying in Norway at:  http://www.studyinnorway.no/ or at the websites of the individual Norwegian universities.

Answer 2

I lived in Norway for a year and I loved it. The people are great and its so beautiful there. I love the weather. Its not as cold as people often think it is, unless you live in the north of Norway. You will need a lot of money before moving there since everything costs so much. But if you get a job there that will help since you get payed more in Norway than you do in the US for doing the same job. I would highly recommend moving to Norway because it is a spectacular place to live.