Questions and answers about semester start
Here you'll find questions and answers regarding semester start.
Can't find answers to your questions? Please call us at +47 31 00 80 00.
Questions and answers
We have a self-service portal where you can activate your user account, update your account information, change your password and create a new password if you have forgotten it.
At our self service user account website portal you may activate your account and/or change your password.
New students at USN will receive their temporary 11-digit number (SO-number) during the first days of orientation and start-up, on campus. International students can therefore not activate their accounts until the temporary 11-digit number (SO-numbers) have been received.
There are a few important tasks you should prepare before your departure to Norway. More information can be found in the new student check list.
FAQ for students
We have created a brief overview of other things that are good to know as a new student at the University of South-Eastern Norway. Here you will find explanations and information about everything from auditoriums to diplomas.
Arrival
The Oslo Fjord region has two different airports, located in relative vicinity to each of our four campuses.
- Oslo Airport (OSL) is the largest airport, situated in Gardermoen, north of Oslo, approximately 25 minutes by airport express train from Oslo city centre.
- Sandefjord Airport Torp is located on the west side of the Oslo Fjord, about 1 hour and 30 minutes by public transport (train or express bus) from Oslo, and relatively close to our campuses in Vestfold and Porsgrunn.
You can find more information under "How to get to campus" under each campus category.
How to get to Campus Drammen
From Oslo Airport (OSL)
You can take the local train from the airport directly to Drammen (L12 Kongsberg), as well as the Airport express (F2 Drammen). The station can be accessed by lift or escalator from the arrival hall. The journey takes approximately 1 h 10 min.
From Sandefjord Airport Torp
You can take the regional train from Torp directly to Drammen. The train station can be accessed by a (free) shuttle bus from the airport terminal. There is one departure per hour. You can also take the express bus ‘Torpekspressen’ which corresponds with the different international flights of Ryanair and Wizzair airlines, see Torpekspressen. The trip takes about 1 h 10 min. Get off at bus stop ‘Bangeløkka’.
How to get to Campus Kongsberg
From Oslo Airport (OSL)
You can take the local train from airport directly to Kongsberg. The station can be accessed by lift or escalator from the arrival hall. There is one departure per hour. The trip takes approximately 1 hr, 40 minutes. You can also go by airport train to Oslo Central Station (trip duration: 25 min.), then change to bus at Oslo Bus Terminal (trip duration: 1 h 20 min).
From Sandefjord Airport Torp
You can take the regional train from Torp to Drammen and change the train going to Kongsberg. The Torp train station can be accessed by a (free) shuttle bus from the airport terminal. There is one train departure per hour from Torp, and one per hour from Drammen to Kongsberg. The trip takes approximately 1 h 50 min.
How to get to Campus Ringerike
From Oslo Airport (OSL)
You can take the airport bus/minibus ‘Askeladden’ from airport directly to Campus Ringerike in Hønefoss. There are 8 departures per day from Platform 29, outside the airport terminal. The trip takes about 1 h 15 min. (Note: The airport shuttle 'Askeladden' is not currently running due to Covid-19 restrictions!)
You may also go by train and bus. If you take the airport express train to Oslo Central station (25 min.), there are buses to Hønefoss every hour from Oslo Bus Terminal (trip duration: 1 h 15 min.). The Oslo Bus Terminal is located close to the Central Station, just 5 min walk.
A second option is to take the train to Sandvika Station, then the bus to Hønefoss. Check out Brakar's homepage and timetable for more information.
From Sandefjord Airport Torp
There are two ways to reach Campus Ringerike in Hønefoss from Sandefjord Airport Torp. First, you can take the shuttle bus from outside the airport terminal to train station. Take a train going to Oslo and get off in Drammen or Lysaker. In Drammen you can take the train going to Bergen; in Lysaker you can change to express bus going to Hønefoss.
Alternatively, take the bus ‘Torpekspressen’ which connects with all international flights and leaves just outside the terminal building. Get off at bus stop Lysaker, outside Oslo (ask the driver where). Get on the bus going from Oslo to Hønefoss.
How to get to Campus Vestfold
From Oslo Airport (OSL)
To get to Campus Vestfold at Bakkenteigen from Oslo Airport (OSL), the easiest way is to go by train to Tønsberg (approximately a two hour ride) and go on from there by bus. When at the airport, the train station can be accessed by lift or escalator from the arrival hall. The bus station in Tønsberg is located approximately 3-5 minutes’ walk from the train station, and the routes 01 and 02 go from Tønsberg to Bakkenteigen. The bus ride takes approximately 20 minutes. See the bus routes in Vestfold.
From Sandefjord Airport Torp
Sandefjord Airport Torp is the nearest airport to Campus Vestfold. From airport you can go by train to Tønsberg (trip duration: 17 minutes) and take the bus 01 or 02 from Tønsberg to Bakkenteigen.
How to get to Campus Bø
From Oslo Airport (OSL)
Allow about 4 hours travel time.
By train:
- Remember the airport is located outside the city.
- You can take the airport express train to “Oslo S”, the central railway station. (Alternatively the L12 train towards Kongberg and disembark the train at Oslo S)
- Look for trains to Kristiansand/Stavanger; and ask for a ticket to Bø, which is a stop on this railway line: www.vy.no
By bus:
Take the SAS airport bus to “Oslo Bus terminal”. From there, there are two buses that can both get you to Bø.
1: The “Nor-Way Bus Express – “Haukeliekspressen” bus. For more travel information, please visit www.nor-way.no
2: The “NX1 Nettbuss express” bus. For more travel information, please visit vybuss.com. If you travel with the “NX1 Nettbuss express” you have to change buses in Notodden. Your bus driver will help you.
From Sandefjord Airport Torp
Torp is about 2,5 hours bus drive south of Bø.
If you fly into Torp you can take the “Nor-Way Bus Express - Telemarksekspressen” bus to Bø. For more travel information, please visit: www.nor-way.no
How to get to Campus Notodden
Norway has two airports in proximity to Notodden, which operate on an international scale:
From Oslo Airport, Gardermoen, Oslo (Code OSL)
Allow about 3-4 hours travel time.
By train (and bus):
You can take the train from the airport to Kongsberg(L12) and then take the bus(VY1) from there to Notodden. (Note that you may not be able to buy bus tickets in advance) Your second option is to take a train to Oslo Central Station, and walk to the Bus Terminal(approximately 2 min) to take the bus to Notodden. You can check timetables at Vy's homepage.
The bus to Notodden is either VY1 or “NX1 Nettbuss express”.
By bus: Take the Airport Express Coach "Flybussen" to the “Oslo Bussterminal”. You can ask for a direct ticket to Notodden with the bus, “NX1 Nettbuss express".
From Sandefjord Torp Airport
If you fly into Torp you can take the “Nor-Way Bus Express - Telemarksekspressen” bus to Bø/Gvarv. In daytime it is a local bus from Bø/Gvarv to Notodden.
How to get to Campus Porsgrunn
Norway has two airports in proximity to Porsgrunn, which operate on an international scale:
Oslo Lufthavn (Oslo Airport), Gardermoen, Oslo
There is a direct train from Oslo Gardermoen Airport to Porsgrunn.
Sandefjord Lufthavn (Sandefjord Airport), Torp, Sandefjord
The airport is situated 45 minutes from Porsgrunn. There are regular trains (L11) and buses going from the airport to Porsgrunn. See more at vy.no
How to get to Campus Rauland
Norway has two airports in proximity to Rauland, which operate on an international scale:
From Oslo Lufthavn (Oslo Airport), Gardermoen, Oslo (Code OSL)
Allow about 5 hours travel time.
By bus:
Take the Airport Express Coach to “Oslo Bussterminal” (the central bus station). Change bus to the “Nor-Way Bus Express - Haukeliekspressen” bus to Åmot. For more travel information, please visit www.nor-way.no or www.telemarkbil.no
When you arrive at Åmot you can change to local bus to Rauland.
From Torp Sandefjord Airport (Code TRF)
Allow at least 5 hours travel time.
By bus:
If you fly into Torp you can take the “Nor-Way Bus Express - Telemarksekspressen” bus to Seljord. For more travel information, please visit: www.telemarkekspressen.no/ Torp is about 5 hours bus drive south of Rauland, and the local bus does not bring you straight to Rauland.
Change bus twice on the way in Seljord and Åmot.
Airports
Trains
Buses
Ferry
All students are advised to have a valid insurance covering the duration of their stay – including travel to and from Norway.
USN strongly emphasizes that it is the student’s own responsibility to make insurance arrangements for any accident, illness, injury, loss or damage to persons or property resulting from, or in any way connected with, the study period in Norway.
In addition to health insurance (see below), all students must have a valid travel insurance for the duration of their stay in Norway.
Please note that if you are coming with a spouse or family member, it is your own responsibility to make sure that you family member is insured during your stay.
Learn more about insurance for students coming from the EU/EEA
Learn more about insurance fror students coming from outside the EU/EEA
At sikresiden.no preventive training and advice are available on what to do in a crisis situation. You must always assess for yourself what it is best to do in a specific situation.
For various reasons, you may be prevented from attending the start-up date. If that's your situation, you must apply for a postponed start-up date. If you do not apply for a postponed start-up date, you risk losing your study spot. For several programmes, it may not be possible to start later than the start-up date.
If you are an exchange student, you must contact the Program Administrator in your study programme and request a postponed start-up date. You will find the contact information on the programme webpages. You can also ask for your Program Administrator by calling us at 0047 31 00 80 00.
If you are a full degree student, you will find your start-up date in the time schedule. If you can't meet this day, please send an email to your programme advisor. If you are not able to come within the absolute deadline provided in your Letter of Admission, please send an e-mail to the admissions office.
Study Advisor - closest to you
Do not hesitate to contact your study advisor if you have questions pertaining to your study program. You will find her/his name on the study program page. Your study advisor processes applications for study leave and reduced study progression, explains regulations and helps to device individual study plans, among many other things.
Advice on study technique – Student Counsellors
Do you need to polish your study skills a bit? We provide advice to help you study smarter. We have offices on campus Vestfold, Kongsberg, Drammen and Ringerike, but we are also available on Skype. Contact us at raadgivningstjenesten@usn.no.
Disability Support
If you have special needs and need support, send an email to tilrettelegging@usn.no for appointment.
Career Services
Do you struggle with motivation? Our career advisors are ready to help you sort your thoughts about the career choices you have taken and, of course, help you to polish your job-seeking skills.
USN Career has offices at Campus Vestfold but is of course also available on Skype.
Contact us at career@usn.no.
Do you need someone to talk to?
SSN Health offers professional help for those who just need to talk to someone. Sometimes everything feels a little ... rough. There can be times when your energy is low, the motivation is missing and it is hard to concentrate. There may be several explanations. Maybe something unusual happened in your life, or maybe you are just going through a period where everything just feels a little heavier than usual. SSN Health is present on all campuses. The door is open to everyone. Our services are available regardless of whether you need a short talk or help over time. The offer is free of charge and, of course, confidential.
Select your campus to book an appointment.
Student Chaplains
Sometimes life is like a maze it seems impossible to find your way through. Either you are struggling with a broken heart, feel lonely or wander about choices and big questions, sometimes a talk can make things easier. Student chaplains have extensive experience in talking with people in different phases of life. No issues are too small or too big. All campuses: pernille.astrup@usn.no.
International Office
International Office provides you with the practical information only international students need, such as information on visa, social security number, UDI, residence permit, insurance, personal doctor and work permit. The doors are always open for any questions you might have. Send an email to; international@usn.no.
As a student at USN you may apply for accommodation via the Student Welfare Organization (SSN) at all of our eight campuses. It is recommended to register and apply as early as possible.
Click here for more information about student accommodation under SSN.
Deadlines for Student Housing Applications through SSN (all campuses):
- Accommodation for autumn semester: 1st May
- Accommodation for spring semester: 1st November
Please note: There is currently no housing guarantee for international students, due to the Covid 19-situation.
Students will therefore responsible for organizing housing themselves. Please read more at: www.ssn.no/home/
No exceptions will be made for students cancelling their contract after arrival in Norway, you will still have to pay for the full semester.
For students applying to SSN after the deadline, no housing can be guaranteed.
Private off-campus housing
It is possible to find private housing in the region and local communities close to our campuses. Please note that private housing may be more expensive and some landlords may require you to pay a full deposit of several months' rent ahead of moving in. To some extent, it might be possible to find shared apartments with other students.
Do not sign a private tenancy agreement before you have received your admission letter from USN.
USN has no capacity to assist students finding private housing. If you are searching for private housing, check Finn.no or Airbnbplease note that most information is only available in Norwegian. You can contact the department office in Rauland foran overview of private rental options.
There are a certain number of housing units available for international students that apply before the deadline. Whether or not you are guaranteed housing depends on how many applications there are for that semester. Some campuses have more available housing than others. Also keep in mind when applying that some types of housing units will fill up quicker than others, and it can be a good idea to apply for more than one if possible.
Keep in mind that SSN and USN are different units, so if you have any questions about housing, please contact SSN directly.
The SSN contracts lasts at least one - 1 - full semester:
August 1 - December 31
January 1 - June 30
Contracts cannot be terminated before these dates (Dec 31 / June 30)
Semester registration is compulsory for all students who take the ordinary full-time/part-time programme of study and must take place each semester. Semester registration comprises confirmation of the individual education plan and payment of the semester fee. You can do both in StudentWeb. Student Web opens up semester registration on 1 August for the autumn semester and 1 December for the spring semester.
NB:
- Before you log into StudentWeb you must first activate your user account.
- You will not be finally registered for the semester until you have paid the semester fee (you can create the invoice yourself in StudentWeb).
- It may take a few days from your payment of the semester fee until we have registered the payment.
User manuals
The deadline for semester registration and payment is 1 September for the autumn semester and 1 February for the spring semester.
- Note 1: The semester fee is assessed each semester and the amount may be subject to changes.
- Note 2: Postgraduate programmes may have extra charges in addition to the semester fee
- Note 3: Some programmes have extra study-specific charges such as material costs.
| All students (except online students) |
Online-only students | |
|---|---|---|
| Semester fee to the Student Welfare Organization | NOK 550 | NOK 550 |
| Kopinor and printservices (50 NOK for printing) | NOK 339 | NOK 179 (Only kopinor fee) |
| SAIH (optional) | NOK 40 | NOK 40 |
| Semester fee | NOK 929 | NOK 769 |
Concerning online programmes, only students on programmes without meetings are considered to be online-only students.
The semester fee is a statutory fee for all students. The semester fee covers the operation of the student organization and expenses for copying and printing. It also includes a voluntary SAIH fee that you can choose whether you want to pay.
Anyone that register for exams must pay the semester fee. There are some exceptions from this rule:
- Exchange students on semester or full year exchange from our international partners (as they normally pay to their home institution)
- Students following certain studies within continuing and further education
- Ph.d. students
- Students who are only registering for re-sit examination in week 1 and 32.
The invoice for the semester fee can be found in Studentweb. See below for more information about the various fees charged.
Payment Deadlines
- September 1st for the fall semester
- February 1st for the spring semester
It can take as much as four days from you pay your semester fee until your payment is confirmed in Studenweb.
The same deadlines apply to any refund of the semester fee. If you have already paid a semester fee to another educational institution, or if you withdraw from studies at USN, you are entitled, upon request, to a refund. If you withdraw from studies you get a refund of the complete amount. If you have paid a semester fee to another educational institution, you only get the student welfare organisation fee refunded.
Student welfare organisation fee
Student Association of Southeast Norway (SSN) is the welfare/service organization for students in Southeast Norway.
Kopinor fee and print services
Through the Kopinor Agreement students and employees can take photocopies, prints and digital copies. USN requires additionally a fee to cover photocopies used for teaching (print services). The student printing fee covers the students' own print quota at USN.
More information about the Kopinor Agreement.
Note: The online students only pay Kopinor fee.
SAIH (voluntary)
Students 'and Academics' International Assistance Fund (SAIH) is a politically independent organization. Ever since SAIH was founded in 1961, Norwegian students supported SAIH work through giving a coin of 10 NOK each to the SAIH. In addition to long-term development work, the SAIH works to get political influence in Norway and internationally, to improve the framework conditions for education and development globally.
In case you do not want to support SAIH, you may deduct the amount of the invoice when paying.
my.usn.no is USN’s own intranet for students and staff.
At my.usn.no you can e.g. find:
- your time schedule
- your notifications from Canvas
- access to StudentWeb
- news and information relevant for you as a student
- services and tools you need as a student
Activate your account and log into my.usn.no.
All students at USN are assigned one user name for the university's various IT services.
For any service that requires login, you will be asked for a user name.
Your user name = your student ID number.
New students will receive a student ID number by email as from around August 1st.
You can find more information about this at my.usn.no.
If you have not enabled your user account you can do so on this website.
Canvas is our learning platform. Communication between lecturer and student takes place mainly through Canvas.
Here, you can e.g. find descriptions of work requirements and assignments, deadlines for submissions and notifications from lecturers. Here, students can also participate in learning activities and submit assignments, etc.
We recommend all new students to familiarise themselves with the Canvas learning platform as early as possible. Canvas 1-2-3, training for students (in Norwegian).
Traning material in English can be found in the Canvas Community.
USN sends all official university email to the private e -mail that you signed when you applied for admission. It is important that you check the student web to see if you are registered with the correct email address.
As a student, you also get access to a separate student e-mail address. Sometimes it may be a requirement that you use this e-mail address to get student discounts on digital products and you should check it regularly in case important information is sent through this e-mail adress.
Student e-mails are also used for Skype meetings and e -learning.
After accessing your student account, you can contact the IT helpdesk on campus to get support on accessing your e-mail account.
Remember: Before you upload a picture you need to activate your user account. Create account.
To get a student ID and student card, you must take a photo with your own PC /Mobile/camera.
The card gives access to the campus outside opening hours, serves as your library card and enables you to use printers. The card can be obtained from the service square at your campus.
Student ID app
To show that you are an USN student, use the student ID app. This is your semester receipt. The information is stored locally on your phone and you do not need to be online to use it (except for the first time).
- Download the app from:
App Store (iOS)
Google Play (Android)
Windows store (Windows) - Log in by selecting the University of South-Eastern Norway as the institution, and use your normal USN user name and password (Feide).
- The app is valid once you have completed the semester registration on StudentWeb and paid the semester fee. Note that it can take three days for payment of the semester fee to be registered in our systems.
Anyone offering a student discount must accept the student ID app, and you can use it to get discounts on e.g. bus cards.
Log in with your user name and password
The app shows the photo that was taken for the student ID card. Note that for examinations, other valid photo ID must be presented. The student ID app is available in English and Norwegian and follows the default language on your phone.
If you do not have a smartphone and therefore cannot use the student ID app, you can get a semester mark/receipt to keep with your student ID.
You'll find your reading lists by searching for reading lists in Leganto
You can also access your reading list in Canvas and in the course plan for the various courses that you are taking. The course plans can be found in the study plans for each study program.
As a student you can apply for student loans and grants from the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund.
The loan or grant is paid to your account after you have registered for the semester and paid the semester fee.
Can't find your study programme?
In some cases, you may find when you apply for loans and grants that the study programme you are going to take is not listed as an alternative by the Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund. If you do not find a course of study which has exactly the same name as your course, you should select the course of study that is the best match.
The Norwegian State Educational Loan Fund uses standard categories to define study programmes, and they do not fully match the names of our study programmes.
The State Educational Loan Fund has confirmed to us that there will not be any consequences if you make the “wrong” selection. This information is only used for statistical purposes.
We have a library on all of our campuses.
On the library's website, you can order books and periodicals, download e-books, search for literature, get tips on writing assignments and chat with a librarian. You can also attend courses.
For physical lending, you need a student ID card. You can access the library's online databases via your user name and password.
Opening hours (during the semester):
Check out the library web-page for opening hours and contact information for the different campus libraries
NB! During the examination period there will be extended opening hours on Saturdays and some weekdays.
At most study venues you can find a bookstore on campus.
- In Bø, the bookstore is located near the campus, in Bøgata. It is run by Akademika.
- In Drammen, the campus bookstore is run by Norli.
- In Notodden and Porsgrunn the bookstores are located on campus. They are run by Akademika.
- In Kongsberg, Ringerike and Vestfold, the bookstores are run by the Student Welfare Organization.
- The institute office on Campus Rauland has a number of reading lists and materials for aesthetic subjects and for binding.
Yes, for teaching and digital examinations at USN, students are required to have their own laptop PC.
Some study programmes use special software, this may affect what kind of computer you need. Check with the faculty you are studying.
Requirements for digital school exam
You must have your own laptop computer (PC or Mac). Digital exam can not be performed with a tablet, hybrid PC or Chromebook. Remember to bring a charger and mouse.
Minimum requirements for laptop computer for use in teaching and school examinations
System requirements
- PC: Windows 10
- Mac: OS X 10.10 or later
Note: Some programmes at USN are based on Window Software, which means that when purchasing a Mac computer, a Windows installation must be established on the machine using Parallels, Oracle Virtualbox or similar systems that allow both Windows operating system and Mac operating system to be installed on the machine at the same time. Check with the faculty you are studying.
Processor Requirements (CPU)
- Minimum i3 processor or equivalent
- USN recommends: 4 cores (eg Core i5, AMD FX-8350 or equivalent)
Memory Requirements (RAM)
-
8 GB - or more
Storage Requirements
- 256GB HDD (preferably SSD)
Other minimum requirements
-
Integrated wireless network adapter
- Latest version of recommended browsers: Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox
Requirements for laptop computer for online programmes
For online programmes, the minimum requirements mentioned earlier in the article, including the following minimum requirements:
Webcam
- In some programmes, an integrated webcam is approved, but we recommend external camera for better quality and more flexible use.
- Integrated camera must be capable of delivering images in resolution 640x480 or higher
- USN recommends: External HD-resolution USB camera
- An external webcam is required for subjects that have an oral exam online.
Headset
- Headset, which uses USB for audio, with microphone or combination microphone and speaker (important for echo cancellation)
- USN recommends: Think about quality when you buy your headset
- Remember, this will be your tool as an online student for several years to come
Line connection
- Minimum requirements: 5 Mbps download, 1 Mbps upload and 60 ms packet delay (Latency)
- It is not recommended to run wireless networks at web conferencing, but wired network connection between PC / laptop and router
In some cases it is possible to reserve a place on a programme of study.
You can apply to reserve a place in the event of serious illness, childbirth, notice of compulsory military service, or other weighty reasons that prevent you from commencing your studies.
A period of notice to leave a job or a change in employment situation may not be grounds for reserving a place.
More information about rules and how to apply can be found on the admission pages.
The Student Welfare Organization at USN has various different offers within housing, nursery schools, training, canteens and social services at all of our eight campuses.
Contact your local police station and ask for a Criminal Record Certificate. You will have to print and bring your offer of admission from your web application and a valid ID card.
Find out more about certificate of good conduct.
Tuition fees
Completing a university degree is considered to be an expensive affair and tuition fees are usually making up the bulk part of the cost. This is not the case in Norway where public funding secures free education for both Norwegian and international students.
The majority of Norwegian universities and state university colleges are publicly funded and the Norwegian government considers access to higher education for all to be an important part of the Norwegian society.
University of South-Eastern Norway (USN) are a public institutions do not charge tuition fees. This also applies to international students, no matter which country you come from.
Scholarships
USN don't have any privat scholarships to provide international students. However, there are national programmes that offer scholarships and other types of funding for international students wishing to study in Norway.
If you have more questions about Erasmus + exchange funding - please contact your local international office.