Nerd Alert

Consider yourself warned - some may consider this blog posting a bit on the dorky side!  While our entire visit to Norway thus-far has been nothing short of amazing...today was the day that I have been anticipating since I applied for the GSE.  I finally got to meet my people...university/college administrators!  Now those who do not have the good fortune to work at an institution of higher learning may not completely understand the high level of excitement that comes with visiting a university/college - but OH was I EXCITED!!

[University College of Vestfold]

Stepping foot onto campus you could just tell that you were on a college campus.  The backpacks.  The laptops. The flyers on the wall.  The people trying to get you to sign up for something by offering you free food [in this case a waffle!]  I was at home.  

Our visit to the University College of Vestfold [UCoV]began the day with coffee, carrot cake, and a wonderful presentation by the head of the International Office - Maija Heinilä.  I cannot even attempt to sum up all that she said [although I attempted to take notes feverishly.]  So as not to draw out into an hour long post I will put it into bullets, but first let me mention that ALL schooling in Norway is paid for by the government...INCLUDING higher education! For all those reading with mounds and mounds of student loans - I am sure this has a sweet, sweet sound :)  This also applies to international students - so I am sure you can imagine just how many applications they have to sort through a year [quite a daunting task.]  While I am not certain the following apply to each and every university in Norway [I hope to get more clarification when I return to UCoV on Wednesday] the following is at least true to UCoV:

• It is a Student Democracy.  What this means is that a "student has a right to be heard"  Every committee on campus has student representation & students are invited [although they may not attend] to everything.  
• There are currently no internship programs offered however faculty are consistently reaching out to businesses and schools to see what skills are lacking in students and they revise the programs accordingly to ensure the degree is relevant.
• ANY faculty/staff can go to a partner university [paid for by the European Union] for a week to encourage bilateral learning and "best practice" in any & all given fields.
• Students seeking higher education in Norway complete one application which is then sent to Oslo.  On this application they can note up to 10 different institutions and then their information is routed accordingly [oh how I loathed the many hours spent on college applications - this system would have been nice]
• The average age at UCoV is 28.  This is due to many students coming from the work force and deciding to pursue higher education after they have tried a career or two prior.

[Maritime simulator - yep it made me seasick & I was convinced that WE were moving & not the screen]

I was just given the "wrap it up" lecture from my newest roommate Carsolina [as my blog post is rather lengthy today] - which leads me to my last little snippet of information for the day.  Today also marked a Rotary Club change.  We are now staying with hosts within the Faerder Rotary Club -  Harald & Venja [a VERY nice couple that I am so excited to get to know better.]  Harald took us on a stroll before dinner and took this picture: