– I had managed it. Several days a week, Teodor Mordal puts his school books away and goes to work. He does this to be able to live a financially sound student life. – I had a year off last year with a lot of work. I feel I am well prepared if a bill like that comes up completely randomly, says Mordal. He is part of a positive development, show figures from the Students’ health and well-being survey (Shot). Almost 60,000 students have taken part in the survey. 16,800 answered that they would not be able to pay an unforeseen expense of NOK 5,000 today. The number is a record low. – But I know people who cannot afford to buy food outside, says Mordal. The students’ health and well-being survey (Shot) 169,572 students were offered to answer this year’s survey. 59,544 (35 percent) students participated. The Norwegian Institute of Public Health is conducting the survey on behalf of the student associations SiO, Sammen and Sit. The survey is normally carried out every four years. The first survey was carried out in 2010. In 2021, an additional survey was carried out to map how the students fared during the first year of the corona pandemic. Source: Studenthelse.no Still worried about the economy The Shot survey also shows that a record low 6 percent have problems with current expenses. Nevertheless, the Norwegian Student Organization is concerned about the students’ finances. Much has become more expensive since the survey was first sent out in 2010. – The question we have asked has been the same. NOK 5,000 is not the same today as it was twelve years ago, says manager Maika Dam. The leader of the Norwegian Student Organization (NSO), Maika Dam, is nevertheless concerned about the economy. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news A living conditions survey carried out by Statistics Norway (SSB) shows that 1 in 4 Norwegian students have work income as an important source of income. – For many, the actual working time with school and work amounts to 50 hours a week. No one is designed for such a heavy workload over several years. It leads to burnout, says Dam. The record low numbers of students with financial challenges have a reason, says the psychologist specialist. – It is clear that students work harder to get by. It takes a lot of time and increases the feeling of stress among students, says Anne Karin Mullaly, who also heads SiO Mental Health. – Must have help from mum Julie Riisa feels she had never managed an unexpected bill of NOK 5,000, despite the fact that she works. The expenses she already has are high. – I had to get help from my mother if I was to pay an unexpected bill of NOK 5,000. Or I would have to work more than I do now. That in turn would mean fewer social evenings, says Riisa. Julie Riisa studies HR and personnel management at Kristiania University College. She had not managed an unexpected bill of NOK 5,000. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news Riisa is paid NOK 8,800 a month by Lånekassen. The rent in the small collective in the capital costs NOK 7,000. – How do you manage with NOK 1,800 and not work on the side? The Norwegian student organization believes it is problematic. – It is a problem when students have to ask for help from home. It should not be the size of your parents’ wallet that determines whether you can take higher education, says Dam. Many struggle with mental health Shot is the largest student survey in Norway. This year’s survey shows that many students struggle with their mental health. The number of students who say they have serious mental health problems has increased dramatically since the first survey was carried out in 2010. In 2010, every sixth student answered that they had serious mental health problems. In 2022, every third student answers the same. – In the same twelve-year period, a whole world of social media channels has started. We sit and evaluate ourselves, it reinforces the feeling of having to perform, says psychologist Mullaly. The thing that is most common when students contact health services at the place of study is anxiety in various situations. – The fact that more people answer that they have mental health problems may be because we have more openness now than before, and that the world is changing with a lot of uncertainty around Europe and the economy, she says. Hi! Do you have any tips on what my next case might be about? Send me an e-mail! I have written about this in the past, among other things:
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Norwegian students answer that they can afford better than ever – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
