My Life in Norway: A Study Abroad Memoir by Remy Meir

In the spring of 2017 I decided to embark on a life-changing journey. I stuffed my

bags with winter clothes and jetted off to Oslo, Norway. I spent six months studying abroad at the University of Oslo and it was by far the most impactful experience of my college career. Not only was the country absolutely breathtaking, but also the people I met and the experiences we shared will not be easily forgotten. However, when I first arrived, I really had to work to adjust to Norwegian culture. They are a pretty reserved group of people. It took some time to break through the reserved shell that a lot of Norwegians have, but once you were in, you had a friend for life. The easiest way I found to make friends with locals was to get involved on campus and pick up hobbies that Norwegians love. There is a running joke that Norwegians are born with skis on their feet, however when I was there, I quickly learned this was not a joke. In order to blend in, I rented cross-country skis from my university and then spent most weekends and some days after class hitting the snow-covered hills behind my student village. I think that was one of my favorite parts of Norway, how perfectly intertwined the nature and cities were and how the people who lived there take full advantage of it.

Beyond my involvement in traditional Norwegian activities, I also got involved in a research lab on campus. Prior to leaving home, I reached out to a professor at the University of Oslo to ask if I could intern in her lab during my semester abroad. She was incredibly accommodating and welcomed me into her lab with open arms. I enjoyed working with her so much that I am trying to return to Norway to complete my research project. In order to do so I am applying for the Fulbright Scholarship. This scholarship would fully fund me to live in Norway for ten months in order to complete my research. If someone had asked me freshman year if I saw myself applying for Fulbright in the future I would have just laughed. However, now that I have built up so much support on my campus and had the experience of applying and winning Goldwater, I want to continue to push myself. I think that more students should try to apply for these awards because you never know how it will impact your life.

For me studying abroad was more than seeing the Northern Lights, learning to cross-country ski, or even working in a foreign research lab. It was about throwing myself into a new experience and figuring out how I could take advantage of all the opportunities at my fingertips. Completely submersing yourself in a different culture gives you a new perspective on the world and can help you see a clear path for your future. I can honestly say that all my friends that studied abroad would tell future students the same thing. We all came back with a new outlook on life that helped to shape the future we see ahead of us. If you are hesitant about studying abroad, throw that nervous energy away and head to the education abroad office. A student never comes back saying that they regret the time they lived in another country, students regret never taking that chance. Go out, learn something new, meet someone new, and take advantage of all life has to offer. 

Q&A:

1.    Describe your time at Norway and the enjoyable moments.

I studied abroad spring of 2017 at the University of Oslo in Norway. One of my favorite things about being in Europe was that I got to travel to Italy, Slovenia, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden, and the Netherlands.  I also thoroughly enjoyed exploring Norway from the fjords to the Northern Lights; Norway had some of the most breathtaking nature I have ever experienced. I’m also a huge winter person so being able to cross-country ski almost every weekend was a ton of fun, and then as soon as it warmed up we traded in our skis for hiking boots.

     2. What were some of the shocks and challenges that you had to overcome?

One of the challenges I had to overcome was adapting to Norwegian culture. They are a pretty reserved group of people, so making friends was initially a challenge. However, once I started to get involved on campus and with different hobbies it was easy to create new friendships. I also developed a lot of close relationships with other international students helping me to gain a better perspective on the world as well as some of my closest friends. The only other thing that posed a real challenge was initially learning how to navigate public transportation. I have never lived in a city almost completely dependent on public transportation, so learning how to get around via bus and t-bane was a whole new world. However, once I figured it out, I absolutely loved it and coming back to the United States where I have to drive everywhere was a challenge.

3.   How did you get involved in research in Norway?

Prior to leaving the United States, I looked up professors in Norway who were doing similar research to my lab at UAB or their research was close to my interests. Once I found a professor I was interested in working with, I sent her an email about how I was planning to study abroad and would love the chance to intern in her lab. She was super accommodating and welcomed me into her lab with open arms. I loved getting a different research experience and in fact loved it so much that I am trying to return to Norway on the Fulbright Scholarship to complete my research.

4.   What are the differences of research done there compared with UAB or the US in general?

For me, it was a big change because I went from a basic research lab to a translational, human based lab. However, it worked to my advantage because they considered me an expert in animal models and I regularly had to give presentations on animal models of projects they were trying to figure out how to translate into a human model. It was a great experience to work on my scientific communication, especially with a crowd of people who didn’t have the same first language as me. They made a rule that during lab meetings everyone had to speak in English, which at first made me feel like a burden, but we all ended up having fun trying to communicate scientific ideas in different languages. They helped me learn some Norwegian and I helped them strengthen their English.

5.   Any advice to students who are thinking about studying abroad?

My advice to students who are thinking about studying abroad is to just do it! I work in the education abroad office now, and the students we see never regret taking the chance to live in a different country, students regret letting this chance pass them by. I also think that students should do plenty of research before they go so that they can take full advantage of the opportunities at their host university. I truly think getting involved in a research lab while I studied abroad enhanced my experience.

6.    How did your Goldwater and other experiences at UAB prepare you when you were abroad?

I actually won Goldwater while I was in Norway, so that was pretty exciting. I think that winning this award is what helps to fuel me to apply for further awards like Fulbright. I have built up so much support on UAB’s campus and now at UiO, that I just want to continue to push myself to see what I can achieve. I really think that students should challenge themselves to go after awards like these because you never know how much it will impact your life. Trust me, when I was a freshman I would have never thought that I would be standing here today a Goldwater Scholar, who just spent a semester in Norway, trying to apply to go abroad again. My biggest advice to students in general is to find something they are truly passionate about and then don’t let anything get in the way of their pursuit of that goal.

Remy Meir is a senior, an Honors College Ambassador, an Undergraduate Research Ambassador, co-founder of Pre-PhD Society, and the chief editor of the Inquiro undergraduate research journal. 
Contributed by Remy Meir                                 Edited by Jasmine Cunningham and Isabella Mak