When in Doubt, Say Yes to Studying Abroad in Norway at American College of Norway!
Study abroad student, Kayla Wendt from Detroit Lakes, Minnesota heard about American College of Norway through her involvement with Sons of Norway. Once she heard about the program, she instantly applied and the rest is history. Read about Kayla's semester abroad and why she'd recommend ACN to anyone considering studying abroad in Norway.
I had studied abroad when I was in my junior year of high school. I lived in Wales, United Kingdom for five months and while I absolutely loved it, I figured that was the start and end of my study abroad life. That all changed when my grandmother showed me a program she heard about through her involvement with Sons of Norway, called American College of Norway (ACN). While I thought that I had the best time of my life in Wales, my experience at ACN changed my perspective completely!
Kayla on a street art tour of Oslo with ACN
Both sides of my mother’s family came from Norway in the early 1900s. When I found that out, one of my goals in life was to visit Norway. Previous to studying abroad at ACN, I attended various Sons of Norway events with my grandmother where I had the opportunity to learn more about my Norwegian heritage. All this curiosity definitely peaked my interest in learning more and being given the opportunity to visit where they came from, made me feel beyond connected to my heritage. ACN encourages Norwegian American students to dig deeper into their family’s history and this is one of the many reasons why I love the program so much!
Kayla’s grandmother came to visit her in Norway
One of the reasons that I picked ACN is because of the three-day weekends, making it perfect for traveling around Norway and the rest of Europe. During my stay, I was able to visit Oslo, Flåm, and Bergen during the fall semester break, along with England and Wales. I was also able to travel to Sweden and France on the weekends. ACN’s knowledgeable staff was extremely helpful in assisting me with finding the best priced flights, accommodations and gave great restaurant recommendations.
Kayla enjoying a weekend in Paris, France
ACN is also a relatively small school, which I was really excited about. The intimate setting offers more one on one time with professors. The small class sizes allow for everyone to get to know each other and create close friendships that will last a lifetime. Personally, I have met people from the United States, Norway and beyond that I consider great friends. The smaller sized college also allows for the students to create great relationships with the staff, making it really easy to plan a trip back.
I would highly recommend to anyone (whether you are a freshman or a senior in college) to study abroad at the American College of Norway. I had an amazing experience and my only regret is that I only went for one semester.
Kayla’s ACN friends took her to the airport to send her off
ACN is currently accepting applications for Summer 2020 (May 19 – June 12), Fall 2020 (August 10 – December 11), Spring 2021 (January 11 – May 7) and the full 2020 – 2021 academic year (August 10 – May 7). Apply online today at americancollege.no/apply!