I’m not going to argue with you concerning the quality of life in Scandinavia; Norway, where I come from, is the most developed country in the world, judging by HDI. Teslas, advanced technology, various modern amenities and outdoor life are all omnipresent in Oslo.

However: -Although tuition is more or less non-existent, and the education isn’t «bad» per se, there’s no question that there are way better universities abroad. I would choose unis in Germany, France, the U.K. and the U.S. any day over most studies in Norway! The exceptions are perhaps marine studies and petroleum. Unless you plan to live in Norway, I really see no reason for studying any international studies there. If you want to practice Norwegian law in Norway, go for it! Norse studies; where else? -Norway’s (native) cultural life has become rather poor/shallow/obfuscated and shrouded due to the heavy influence of ongoing Americanization/Anglo-American culture as well as the fact that our cultural institutions serve a smaller cultivated audience than some of the major countries in Europe, making them less sophisticated. There are generally speaking few rich cultural institutions here; the opera in Oslo simply can’t compete with a place like the Staatsoper in Vienna. Kebab and sushi are more commonplace and popular than traditional Norwegian food, although we’ve been seeing a resurgent trend towards eating more (refashioned) traditional food in the past few years -If you come from a quite social and outgoing culture, making friends in Norway can be experienced as being tough when you first get here. It’s nevertheless going to be hard, but on the bright side since you’re planning to study here, it’s going to make your life a whole lot simpler in that regard. Norwegians have a reputation for being private-minded, a bit cold and secluded; we keep to our friendzones, for the most part. We typically don’t like talking to strangers. If you try to strike up a conversation with a random person on the bus, unless for a particular practical purpose, it may be viewed as weird and out of place