Norway

Mountains. Fjords. Islands. Glaciers. Forests. Nature plays a central role in Norwegian life. As a YFU student you can enjoy the best of outdoor activities in a society that places high value on globalism and personal growth.

Families may be small in Norway, but they are very important to the Norwegian way of life. Families often head for country cottages or cabins on weekends where they may enjoy skiing in the winter and a variety of outdoor activities during other seasons.

Academic Programs

As a YFU student in Norway, you can choose from 15 fields of study in upper secondary school. Courses common to all areas include Norwegian, physical education, sciences, social studies, and languages. Spanish, French, and German language classes are offered. In addition, some schools may have Russian and Italian. Optional courses may include music, drama, dance, arts, business and administration, and information technology. Most schools will require that students use a laptop in school. One can often be rented for approximately $150 from the school if you are not able to bring a laptop with you. You will also be responsible for school fees that cover access to the library and some activities, textbooks, and transportation cost to and from school. Transportation to school can be as high as 4900 NOK for the entire year.

You may want to enroll at a vocational training school. Subjects may include information technology, electronics, carpentry, culinary arts, health and social studies, and horticulture. If you have any other special interests, the YFU Norway office will be more than happy to work with you.

While school is a great place for you to make friends, Norwegian schools generally don’t offer after-school activities. However, there are plenty of music groups, clubs, and organizations to choose from in the community and most of your Norwegian friends will belong to some type of sports club.

Students will attend a three-day orientation in the greater Oslo area upon arrival in Norway. Here you will have a chance to practice speaking the Norwegian language and to learn about the Norwegian culture and way of life.

If you’re a year student in Norway, you might decide to take an optional five-day trip through Norway that includes glacier walks, nature hikes, visits to picturesque towns and mountains, and a boat trip on a fjord. There are also occasional trips and gatherings of one day or a weekend throughout the year. These trips may involve an additional fee.

While tuition covers enrollment in school as well as YFU orientation, students must cover the costs of transportation to school, textbooks and other school activity fees. Costs may be as high as $780 for the year.

Many schools in Norway use internet-based learning and communication extensively, so it is recommended that students bring a laptop if they own one. Schools will help students borrow or rent a laptop if they do not have one.

All students on the year and semester programs to Norway must be born between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 1993.

Programs, Departures, and Costs

Online Resources

To learn more about Norway, we recommend:

• E-mail YFU Alumni from the Alumni Referral List with your questions
• Visit your local library to find reference books, travel guides and essays, Norwegian language dictionaries, and many more country resources 
• Use an internet search engine to find informative web sites 
• Royal Norwegian Embassy in Washington, DC web site

"The best part of my YFU experience was the opportunity to explore another culture and to teach others about being American." - Christina Beck

All YFU Programs are subject to change or cancellation without prior notice.
Last Updated: Monday, October 6, 2008