Jill Hovden

I grew up in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. My dad is from Moss so studying here allowed me to reconnect with my Norwegian family while getting a good education and study abroad experience.

I studied for a year at University of Wisconsin – Madison before coming here. ACN is the perfect place to do a semester or year abroad for the first time. It’s small, personal, and creates a very comfortable environment to get to know people. I love how relaxed it is. It’s so easy to stress out about everything on a big college campus like UW - Madison. Getting to know your teachers and classmates here is easy so asking questions is less intimidating.

When I got here I planned on becoming an English teacher but I wasn’t very passionate about it. I took Introduction to Clinical Psychology here and now am incredibly passionate about becoming a Clinical Psychologist. I’ve become more responsible and independent, and had to “come out of my shell” so to speak. I’m amazed how far out of their way the staff will go to help students, whether it is scheduling a doctor’s appointment or answering questions about a paper.

Norway is an incredibly beautiful country and you can easily travel to other countries from here. The highlight of my time so far has been a weekend trip to London with two close friends. I’ve also explored Oslo with friends and seen Norway in a completely different way than when I was younger. Being here has also helped me develop my Norwegian speaking skills because everyone is patient and willing to help me learn.

I’ve met so many incredible people and made a lot of friends here, both Norwegians and Americans. I would say that if you are considering studying in Norway jump in and do it. You won’t regret it. Coming here was a last minute decision for me and I could not be happier with how things turned out!