Outgoing with Hannes Frey
Hannes Frey, student in the 6th bachelor semester of design, spent the winter semester 2020/21 at our partner university University of Bergen in Norway. In this interview, Hannes Frey talks about his experiences as an exchange student in the far north and reports about his daily life as a design student. He gives organizational tips for future outgoings who are interested in a semester abroad in Norway.
Where and how did you live during your semester abroad?
I lived in a student residence, in a shared flat with 7 other exchange students. That was great to get in contact with other students in a short time. In such a shared flat there is always something going on – especially during the Corona situation. That was nice for me!
Tell me, how was the university and which courses did you take?
At first I was a bit confused: the courses were automatically chosen for us and we were not supposed to choose our own courses. It was not easy to get into the university system in the beginning, but once you got to know the teachers and students, it became a bit more relaxed.
In what way you were able to gain new experiences and develop yourself further?
It was very exciting to see design from a Scandinavian perspective rather than a German perspective. Of course, there are a lot of similarities with the home university HAWK – but at KMD in Norway they like design to be more free and artistic. In long design theory lectures, we were introduced to our own design process. This was not always easy, because it was tedious. But it changed my view on the design process.
What was an absolute highlight for you, professionally or culturally?
Hmm, I have to think about that. My semester was filled with many highlights! But one was especially great: traveling to the north of Norway with other students to see the northern lights. That experience will stay with me forever. There were several highlights at the university: I think the helpfulness from fellow students and workshop leaders was really important – and not to be taken for granted.
What was the biggest challenge for you?
I think the biggest challenge was slipping into a new university system. In the beginning, there were many hurdles that we didn't even know about. We often had to inquire, ask questions, or row back. But after some time, everything automatically fell into place.
Do you have any tips for future outgoings?
Definitely! First of all, think about the importance of the professional part (university and studies) and the cultural part (country and culture) during the semester. It is important to gain extracurricular experience during the semester abroad, because it is part of the learning experience. Another tip: If no one seems to be responsible to register you for a course that you would like to take, simply do it yourself. Sometimes it only becomes clear who is responsible for you after the final registration
