"Thermolegging, hat, mittens, another pair of gloves, some liquorice and cookies and a lot of thick socks. You might think we are describing what to pack for a ski holiday, but nothing could be further from the truth. Instead, these were the contents of the suitcases Susan Wagenmans (Tio Amsterdam) and I (Margaux van Ommen-Vermeer, Tio Utrecht) packed. Why all those warm clothes? We were going to Oslo!"
More attention for event management
"In the middle of the second semester, Tio gave us the opportunity to go to Oslo – or rather the town of Bø, where the University of South East Oslo is located. Bø is a small mountain town with 5,000 inhabitants, six stores and a university. The atmosphere is wonderful, the people are kind and the views are spectacular. We were asked to give a series of guest lectures on Event Management, a topic that definitely deserves more attention in Norway."
Organise your own event
"For several days, we did our best to teach the Norwegian students something about this field. Our PowerPoint presentation included a personal video message from the students of Tio Amsterdam (thanks guys! :)). The students’ assignment was to organise their own event at the end of the course. We, the students of Tio, would attend this event when we came to Norway and visited Bø. The goal was to give us a sneak peek into their lives. What does a typical day in the life of a student in Bø look like?"
Enough to do
"The results were fantastic! From a tractor race to a photoshoot in traditional clothing and from hiking in the mountains and sleeping in a cabin to a rave party in the student clubhouse and dancing to Norwegian music. The students brought up the most hilarious traditions. Did you know it is quite common for students under the age of 18 to drive a tractor because they are too young to drive a car; that heavy metal is one of the most popular types of music in Norway; that students spend fourteen days surviving in the snow for the “Outdoor” programme, at temperatures that can drop to minus forty degrees; that they spend the month before their final exams travelling around in vans and partying while wearing the same red clothes; that if they want to wash their clothes, the legs and arms are cut off? In short, there is enough to do in this Scandinavian hideaway. When will we leave?"
Do it!
"If you are looking for a fun destination for an exchange, consider this: would you like to take classes while enjoying a breath-taking view of the snowy mountains from the classroom window, go skiing on the weekend, enjoy weekly concerts in the student clubhouse and go to a student hangout with enough technical equipment to give Paradiso a run for its money? We say: do it!"