Since our focus is for you to learn as much as possible, which happens through discussing subjects, collaborating with other students, and being active in the instruction, we believe the most fundamental thing we can do is:

to ensure that you as students create good social relations among yourselves right from the beginning,
and that we facilitate for you to maintain and further develop these through an extensive culture of sharing when it comes to learning.

Orientation

The very first encounter with the University of Oslo, with MN, and with your study program is the starting signal for work on the learning environment. At MN, we have worked for many years to ensure that the orientation contributes to academic and social integration, through full-day programs throughout the orientation week. It is also important to us that the work on orientation is a collaboration between staff and students. Welcome Day is also designed so you meet your expectations. The mentors are our most important resource and the start of how you experience the learning environment at MN.

In an evaluation of the orientation at MN in 2023, 90% of the students responded that their expectations for Welcome Day were met, and 85% of the students said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the orientation.

This tells us that the orientation lays the foundation for a good academic and social start for the students, and that is why it is important that you attend as much as possible during the orientation.

Program Seminar

Once the orientation has settled, it is important to continue with the social relations. Perhaps the mentor group did not work well, or you did not participate as much as you wished. We also aim to build pride and a sense of belonging to the study program. Therefore, as a new first-year student at MN, you will attend a program seminar. The seminar's schedule consists of academic and social content with the purpose of getting you better acquainted with your fellow students and some of the teachers you will meet in your first semester.

Among the feedback received in 2023, we find this statement from a student:

"The most important thing I've learned is that I can always get to know more people and that I can be more open to others, which will benefit both myself and the community throughout my studies."

ForVei

After the first semester is completed, and you are about to begin the second semester, you are offered a personal, preparatory guidance conversation, ForVei. The theme of the discussion is life as a student at MN and the University of Oslo. You have the opportunity to share and process both positive and negative experiences as a student, become more acquainted with your own strengths and obstacles, and receive tips and advice on study techniques and time management.

Here you can find information about ForVei: ForVei - The Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Instructors and Group Teachers

We are actively working for the instructors who teach you to focus on the students' learning. Our own Centre for Competence in Science and Technology Teaching (KURT) gathers knowledge and guides instructors and group teachers through various initiatives. You can read more about KURT here, and here you can see their focus on the learning environment for the instructors. An important principle is that the instructors should meet you where you are in your learning process, but it is also important to be aware that a university teacher has a number of other tasks than just teaching. Therefore, you can't expect the instructors to be as available and present for you as a high school teacher might be. Remember that the university is not the same as a high school. You will, to a greater extent than before, be forced to take responsibility for your own time management and learning. That is why a good social environment is incredibly important to have to lean on.

Learning Environment Forum

MN, in cooperation with the Science Library, has established a forum to discuss various topics that are important in the work on the learning environment between students and staff. The students who are represented are the leader of the Science Student Union, the leader of MNSU, and the mentor chief at MN. Additionally, employees responsible for the learning environment at the faculty also attend. The goal is to coordinate information as broadly as possible and to receive feedback on where the learning environment needs improvement for students.

Initiatives at the Departments

At MN, it is important to us that the work on the learning environment takes place close to where you as a student are most: In the instruction, in the study program, in the buildings where you spend time. Hence, many of the initiatives are also launched by the departments themselves.

Our departments therefore offer various activities, such as: events about exam preparation, study conversations in January, masters week, or program coffee.

The Science Library

The Science Library systematically works with the learning environment through dialogue with and inclusion of user groups. The library conducts regular user surveys and other UX methodologies. They have a dedicated working group responsible for the development and preservation of the physical learning environment. This group handles planning for how the spaces in the Science Library should be used, layout of the premises, furnishing, signage, and disseminating information to the users.

The Science Library has around 450 workstations, several group rooms that can be booked, a bookable podcast studio, and a stage where about 200 small and large events are held annually.

This page is translated from norwegian with UiO-GPT and quality assured by the MN-faculty.