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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Flekke

Your comprehensive guide to living


in the remotest part of Norway

2010 Edition
To our new first years:
Congratulations and welcome to the diverse, crazy and fantastic RCNUWC family!

While attending RCN seems exciting, you are probably confused about what you should do next, and
want to learn more about the college. We know; we (the second years) went through the exact same
thing one year ago.

It is quite odd to fill in forms sent by people you have never met about a school that you have never
seen. That is why we’ve created this booklet, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Flekke’, so that you can see
what RCN is like from a student’s perspective. We hope that it will help you understand the school
better and give you some advice for your preparations.

Even though it is hard to leave home at a relatively young age, the second years will always be here to
help you with whatever you need. So, don’t worry, you will be fully taken care of once you arrive in
the land of snow and fiskekake. And if you’re not, let one of us know and we will take care of you.

For now, you can relax, celebrate your accomplishment, and cherish whatever sunshine you can get
before coming here. We look forward to meeting you in your new home away from home.

Motaz
On behalf of the Hitchhiker’s Guide Group,

(New Zealand)
The Local Community and Our Surroundings
Our college is located on the beautiful west coast of Norway and can be found on the shore of a fjord (one of
these characteristic arms of the sea that reach far into the mainland).

This local community, Haugland, is three kilometres from the village of Flekke in the municipality of Fjaler.
Living somewhere where well-preserved nature, mountains, and forest surround you gives you the chance to
try out physical activities such as canoeing, kayaking, biking, swimming and skating.

Still it is very nice to get away from this very tight community every once in a while. Twice a week, the college
bus goes to Dale, the closest town to the College. There you can find two small grocery stores, a café, a bank,
and a bookstore. You can also buy food in a grocery store in Flekke, which is only a 30-minute walk from cam-
pus. However, if you can’t wait for the college bus or don’t feel like walking, then simply hitchhike! It is very
safe to do so in this small community.

For those who need the city atmosphere, you can take the monthly college bus to Førde (about 10,000 inhabit-
ants), which is the nearest city and has three big shopping centers.

We also have our neighbour, the Haugland Rehabilitation Centre, where you can use the pool, gym, and get
in touch with “real Norwegians”. Over the two years, many of the students will be involved in the Haugland
EAC; a great possibility to get to know the local community and patients.

Finally, we have a host family programme that allows students to stay at the home of one of the locals for a
few weekends in the year. We encourage first-years to apply for a host family as it is a fantastic opportunity to

Angelika
get to know Norwegian life and the wonderful community that has accepted us.

(Germany)
Intro Week
From the moment you arrive, you will be completely immersed
in the culture of RCN. You will be greeted by your excited sec-
ond-years as you arrive in the aeroport, when you step off the
bus on campus and when you walk into your new room for the
first time.

Tuesday through Friday, the four days of Intro Week, are the
days when you will learn all about the campus and what it has to offer. During this week you will meet with
Alistair, our IB co-ordinator, to confirm your subject choices and to receive a class schedule. You will also meet
John, our Rektor (also known as a Headmaster, Head Teacher or Principal in English-speaking countries) and
a few other members of the school’s administration. You will also learn about where to do your laundry and
other basic living needs.

Most importantly, Intro Week is the time when you get to know your co-years and form bonds with them. Eve-
ryone here will be new just like you, so you don’t need to be shy when meeting new people. Your second-years
will help you get accommodated, and your co-years will be looking for new friends to get to know just like you
will.

Ingilín, your second-year from the Færoe Islands, has created a short list of some fun things you might do dur-
ing your first few weeks here:

1) Keep a journal and write down your first impressions of everyone you
meet. You’ll be surprised at how different those people turn out to be, and
it’s hilarious to read what you wrote after a year has passed.

2) Go up and talk to people you normally wouldn’t talk to if you were at


home. Seize the opportunity to meet as many new people as you can be-
cause you will always value the strong friendships you create now.

3) Jump into the fjord (or your second-years will probably throw you in!)

Bottom line: relax, have fun and don’t worry about anything (except your
packing). We were just as unsure of what to expect when we came!

Matthew
(California-USA)
Extra-Curricular Activites
There are many opportunities to take part in extra-curricular activities during your time at RCN. All students
have to take part in CAS as part of the IB programme, meaning you will have to do at least one Creative EAC,
one Active EAC and one Service during your time at college. Our EACs encompass a great deal; everything
from Music to Amnesty International, Wheelchair Basketball to Ceramics, or Outdoor Discovery to one of our
many charity groups.

Students also hold Campus Responsibilities to help with the everyday running of the college. Responsibili-
ties include things such as library supervision, life guarding, being a First Aid, snow shovelling or working in
Snikkerbua. Within individual student houses, each House Mentor allocates specific House Responsibilities
to every student. Everyone also takes part in Wednesday and Sunday Cleaning so that our houses remain a
clean place to live.

Though we may be far from civilisation, the Flekke Bubble has much to offer in ways of entertainment. Every
Friday evening there is a World Today, where global issues are presented and discussed, followed by the Film
Club’s movie screening in the Auditorium. Snikkerbua also opens on Friday night, for students to hang out and
eat cake in.

For the musical amongst you, the Boathouse can be used by students at any time, and it contains many differ-
ent instruments, sound system and recording studio. We also have regular shows that everyone can take part in
to show case the culture and talent we have at our school.

Project Based Learning weeks (PBLs) happen every term, and they are a week out from regular classes when
students spend their time working on a specific project, which could be on or off campus or even student initi-
ated. Last year Surfing, Public Art, and Ice Climbing PBLs were some of these activities, while other students
had the opportunity to travel further afield – to Lebanon or to visit a school for the blind in Laski, Poland. All

Katie
first years will also take part in a First Aid training course, and a Model United Nations (MUN).

(Wales-UK)
House and Room
You are going to feel confused when you get here, like you don’t know what is supposed to happen. We all felt
the same way. But you don’t need to worry because from Day 1 you will have a special group of people watching
out for you, and these people are your room-mates.

Each room has 5 students; there are 8 rooms in each house; and there are 5 houses, for a total of 200 students.
Each room has its own bathroom, as well, so you won’t be sharing your bathroom with anyone except your own
room-mates. You can also get curtains for your bed, and the school provides strings to hang your curtains up
with, so that you can have some small amount of privacy. In your room you will also have your own desk, shelf
and cupboard. Everyone cleans room and house twice a week: once on Wednesday and again on Sunday. Also
– rooms are single-gender only, so boys don’t share rooms with girls and vice-versa.

The dayroom is shared by all students in the house. It makes it possible for you to make your own food now
and then. It has an oven, a microwave, a fridge (a freezer is located in the corridor) and a locker for every room
where you can store food. In the dayroom we also have a couple of sofas, mainly used for cosy evenings when
you want to watch movies, and for house meetings.

Next to your house lives your house mentor, who helps you with the resi-
i
dential life. The house mentors’ responsibility is also to ensure that the
common areas and rooms are kept clean and that recycling takes place.
The house mentor leads house meetings, and also now and then invites the
whole house to house drop-ins, to have some nice relaxing time with cake.

Another adult that will be sticking around is your advisor. The advisor is a
caring adult for a group of both first and second years. They will help you to
balance your academic life alongside your extra-curricular and social life.

Melissa
(Finland)
Courses and the IB
Academics obviously make up a large component of RCNUWC, as this is a university-preparatory college. You
will enrol in six IB subjects, one from each of the six subject groups of the IB:

Language A1 (native language) [1]


Language 2 (foreign language) [2]
Social Sciences [3]
Natural Sciences [4]
Maths [5]
Arts/another subject from Groups 1-4 [6]

We attend classes Monday through Friday from 08:00 until 14:00 (2 pm). Your subjects are assigned a block
letter (A, B, C, D, W, X, or Y) and you will sit each subject three times every seven school days, which are num-
bered 1–7. Each block is 70 minutes long; your Higher- and Combined-Level classes will take the whole block.
Standard Level classes are only 60 minutes long, giving you 20 minutes between your 2nd-block Standard Level
class and your 3rd-block class.

Here is an example of my Day 1 schedule for this academic year:


Time Block Subject
08.00 – 09.10 A History
09.10 – 09.35 COOKIE BREAK
09.35 – 10.45 B English A1
10.55 – 12.05 C Philosophy
12.05 – 12.50 LUNCH
12.50 – 14.00 D Norwegian Ab Initio

Tea (Bosnia)
Food

In a hectic place like RCN, you’ll need lots of energy, and


so food is very important to think about. One of the first
places you will be introduced to upon arrival is the big red
building: the Kantina.

The meals that are served at Kantina during school days are:
Meal Time Food Served
Breakfast 07:00 – 08.15 Cold cereal, bread, jams, orange juice (Tuesdays also porridge)
Cookie Break 10:00 – 10:35 Knekkebrød, cheese, jam (Wednesdays also cold cereal)
Lunch 11:55 – 13:00 Variety of warm foods, salad bar, bread, cheese (Mondays also porridge)
Dinner 17:30 – 19:00 2 or 3 warm dishes

The meals that are served at Kantina at weekends are:


Meal Time Food Served
Breakfast 07:00 – 11:00 Cold cereal, bread, jams, orange juice
Brunch 11:00 – 13:00 Variety of warm foods, salad bar, bread, cheese, jams
Dinner 17:30 – 19:00 2 or 3 warm dishes (Saturdays: good food like lasagne, chicken or tacos!)

There is also evening snack at 21:30 or 22:00 Monday through Friday nights for those who like a bit to eat be-
fore bed. It is either fruit or bread with cheese and butter. We also get milk in our houses twice a week.

A great part of your RCN experience is cooking with friends if you don’t feel like going to Kantina for dinner.
Each house has a dayroom equipped with a stove, oven and microwave where you can cook. So if you have
some special spices from home, bring along some to share the exotic flavour of your country.

To buy food, you can go shopping in Flekke or Dale. There is also the Student Shop every day at dinnertime
where you can buy cake mix, spaghetti, or snacks like chocolate and chips.

One last reminder about RCN food is that you are going to encounter many different flavours, which may be

Yvonne
very different from what you are used to. So, always keep an open-mind and try out every meal!

(Hong Kong)
Your RCN Survival Kit

Clothing
•• Waterproof clothing
•• Rubber boots
•• Warm winter clothing
•• Formal clothing OR National Costume
•• Comfortable day clothes and shoes
•• Bathing suit
•• Pyjamas
•• Slippers/House shoes
•• Hiking boots, running shoes, etc. (per your interests)

School
•• Backpack
•• Dictionary for your own language
•• Translation dictionary between your language and English
•• Pens and pencils

Personal Hygiene
•• Toothbrush and toothpaste
•• Soap and shampoo
•• Deodorant
•• Towel and washcloths (wash linens)
•• Razors/shavers and shaving cream

Personal Living
•• Alarm clock
•• Ear plugs
•• Over-the-counter medication (for light illnesses like colds and coughs)
•• Prescription drugs (if you have a medical condition)
•• Moisturiser and lip balm
•• Cap and sunglasses
•• Extra pair of glasses or extra contact lenses
•• Religious texts (for the religiously inclined)

Electronics
•• Laptop (if you have one)
•• Chargers (for any electronic devices you may have)
•• Small supply of AA and AAA batteries
•• Plug adapters
•• Power strip (if you have lots of electronics)
Glossary Auditorium: The building where we have college meetings and other important presentations

Brown Cheese: A special type of Norwegian cheese that is served daily... you either love it or hate it

College Meeting: A meeting every Tuesday for the whole student body and teachers to discuss issues and
events

Cookie Break: A misleading name for the small break for knekkebrød (see below) and coffee or tea between
the first and second block

Dale: The small nearby town (population of 1000) where you can go shopping, sit at a cafe, and mingle with
locals. There is a bus every Monday at 14:15 to Dale, or simply hitchhike with a friend

Drop in: A cosy gathering in the evening at your house mentor’s place to socialise and eat good food

EACs: Extra-Academic Commitments, they are the after school activities that we take part in. With such a
wide variety of groups such as Climbing EAC, Political EAC and Ceramics EAC, you’ll surely find some that
suit you. If not, start a new one!

Fiskekake: The classic RCN dinner – a patty made from fish. These Norwegians sure love their fish!

Flekke: The village community where we live, with one shop (a 20-minute walk from campus) and many
farms

Flekke Weather: The unpredictable, sometimes frustrating, weather of the bubble we live in. Lots of rain and
snow, but with a bit of sunshine now and then that makes everyone happy

Førde: The nearest city to us (only an hour’s drive away) where you can do some serious shopping or com-
munity services. Since being recognised as a city three years ago, Førde has been awarded “Norway’s ugliest
city” three years in a row...

Fjord: The body of water that makes our UWC special, a great place to jump into during the summer... or
thrown into for your birthday

Haugland: Our neighbouring rehabilitation centre where we help out and in return gain access to many of
their facilities such as the TSK (see below) and swimming pool

Heggnes: A beautiful old farm an hour’s hike from campus, with exciting possibilities for the school

Høegh: A multi-function building used for shows, fairs, cafes, recreational activities, and Saturday night par-
ties

IB: The monster that is always watching you! Despite all the complaining we do about the International Bac-
calaureate, everybody ends up surviving it. So don’t worry too much about it!

Island: The Island (actually two islands connected by a bridge) is a short walk from the Student Village
where you can go to relax and enjoy the great forest

Jarstadheia: A big mountain near campus that all students should hike up at least once during their stay here

Kantine: The school’s dining area run by a cool moustached Norwegian by the name of Johnny. Breakfast is
from 07:00 to 08:00; lunch is from 12:00 to 12:50; and dinner is from 17:30 to 19:00.
Knekkebrød: Healthy Norwegian crackers that are quite delicious with cheese. Available in two flavours/
colours

Lavvo: A big tent off campus that is part of the culture of the Sami (the indigenous people of Norway). It is
available for use by students and they can even sleep overnight in the lavvo too

Leirskule: A camp for Norwegian kids hosted by our school during the spring and summer. The students will
run many of their activities such as kayaking, climbing and dance

PBL: Project Based Learning, a one-week activity that focuses on a specific topic

Snikkarbua: Open every Friday night, Snikkarbua is the student-run cafe, which serves its delicious cakes
made from a secret recipe

Student Council: The student body’s elected representatives that works to help the students and improve the
college. You can approach them if you have any suggestions, problems, or queries.

Student Village: The part of campus where the students’ rooms are. There are five houses: Sweden, Iceland,
Norway, Denmark and Finland house, each with 40 people (eight rooms with five people in each room) and
one house mentor (a teacher who looks after the students in the house)

TSK: Trenings Sal Kjeller, the gym in Haugland where you can go to work out

Tusen Takk: Norwegian for “Thank You”, a very useful phrase that you will always use

24-Hour Notice Board: The board in the entrance of Kantine where all messages are posted. Check it regu-
larly!

Uncle Tom’s Cabin: Where we do our laundry, there are eight washing machines and dryers. It is important
to respect these machines and other people’s property in UTC

Vacations: There are four vacations in the year. The two big ones when you must leave campus are the Win-
ter Break (December/early January) and Summer Break ( June/July/August). There is also November Break
(mid-November) and Easter Break (early April in 2010), each of which are about a week.

W3: This is the school’s online database that you will get access to when you arrive. It is filled with many use-
ful resources and class timetables (w3.rcnuwc.no)

“Years”: Zero-Years – Students admitted into a UWC and are about to start (that’s you!);
Co-Years – Students that are in the same year (graduating class) as you;
First-Years – Students who are in their first year in a UWC (that’ll be you in August!);
Second-Years – Students that have been at a UWC for one year and will be graduating in one year (that’s us!)
Testimonials

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
RCNUWC is a very special place, especially for all of you. The reason is, in my opinion, the so-called bubble
phenomenon. We, two hundred students, live, love, fight, stress, stress even more, chill and go crazy in this
place. After some moment you stop paying attention to your appearance, to your roomy scratching his balls
or your own privacy being constantly disturbed. The student body becomes your personal environment, your
bubble where everything is allowed and consequences of your behavior will never follow you outside the bub-
ble. Freedom? Yes, freedom going alongside with dependency. Eventually you realize you have explored the
bubble (or at least the segment you wanted), however, you cannot move onwards. You are stuck in it indepen-
dently of your willingness. This is where it transfers from your ‘personal environment’ to your ‘family’. Now,
coming back to my point where I said RCNUWC is a special place for you… I think it is you, newcomers, who
are flashed by ‘The Bubble Phenomenon’ and now have to realize that these two hundred people are your family

Benas
and you are responsible for the welfare of the bubble. Draw the analogy to the world we live in.

(Lithuania)

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
It was the decision that changed everything. “Are you sure that you want to do this?”; “Isn’t it really cold in
Norway?” “What about the light?” “Are you going to leave your family and friends behind?”

These were the most common questions that I got back home before coming to RCNUWC. I can say that this
is a big change, that’s the truth but this is certainly the best decision that I’ve made.

A new country, new school, new friends and a new lifestyle, you will all experience that.

But this can be put into different words: an amazing place to live, a new family, great experiences, so much to
share, conversations that you will never forget, exciting activities, life-lasting memories…If you ask me what is
the best thing that happened in my life, it will be coming to RCN, so be ready to enjoy two years that you will
always remember and these go by fast.

Irene
We are waiting for you! Welcome to your new home, welcome to RCNUWC!

(Spain)
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Imagine being thrown into the fjord at midnight by your friends on your birthday. Being able to share your own
experience and listen to your different friends’ incredible life stories. Intensely dancing ballet night after night
with a range of great dancers from different parts of the world. Challenging your intellect, your academic ability
and striving to achieve your goals. Discussing world issues with people with unique backgrounds and different
perspectives. All this - both fun, tough times and much more of my experiences here at RCNUWC have given
me a unique and individual understanding of what is happening in the world today. This has enabled me to re-
alize how important it is to have compassion and tolerance for other people, cultures and for the nature. As for
now all of this has given me a strong foundation to stand strong and meet the future and I am sure that there is

Jeanette
a lot more to come.

(Sweden)

`````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
Sitting at my desk in Sweden House at Red Cross Nordic UWC, I am trying to recall my most significant experi-
ences in this place. It is hard to write about just one thing, since this would exclude all the other extraordinary
things that have happened during my stay here.

The impression these experiences made on me have one thing in common: I learned how to approach various
different ideas, events and conflicts from several points of view and mindsets, rather than just my own percep-
tions and ideas. Being with many students and teachers with a lot of different cultural backgrounds together in
one place made me realize that the solution to a conflict is not always found in the specific center of the prob-
lem, but also in the broader terms.

To get to a supermarket is a half-hour walk on a hilly road, but we enjoy this a lot. I learned that ‘small things in
life’ are not always to be considered small things, they can mean a lot. I do not think I ever enjoyed the things

Sophie
back home this much; I simply took them for granted.

(Netherlands)
Email Addresses
Get in touch with your second-years!
All email addresses: @stud.rcnuwc.no
example: nc09amuh@stud.rcnuwc.no
Country First Name Last Name Email Address Other Nationality
Albania Ama Muhedini nc09amuh
Angola Márcio Ngombe nc09mngo
Belarus Maks Karpovich nc09mkar
Bolivia Claudia Calderón Machicado nc09cmac
Bosnia Tea Dejanović nc09tdej
Cambodia Kimhean Hok nc09khok
Canada Mitchell Steele nc09mste
Canada Sarah Melton nc09smel
Chile Renata Tobar Nilo nc09rnil
China Amannisa Sawuti Wupuer nc09awup
China Liwen Dong nc09ldon
Czech Republic Jakub Stocek nc09jsto
Denmark Amanda Palbo nc09apal
Denmark Astrid Vestergaard nc09aves
Denmark Cecilie Noer Rasmussen nc09cras
Denmark Christoffer Ravn Rahbek nc09crah
Denmark Hans Peter Geisler nc09hgei
Denmark Stine Hach Juul Madsen nc09smad
Egypt Mohamed El Karawy nc09mkar
Estonia Katerina Solomanjuk nc09ksol
Ethiopia Tangut Degfay nc09tdeg
Færoe Islands Ingilín Strøm nc09istr
Finland Joni Hämäläinen nc09jham
Finland Matti Suomenaro nc09msuo Turkish
Finland Melissa Haga nc09mhag Swedish Finn
Gambia Nyima Njie nc09nnji
Germany Angelika Benz nc09aben
Ghana Jeffrey Asala nc09jasa
Greenland Regine Møller nc09rmol
Guatemala Xavier Bonifaz nc09fbon
Hong Kong Tiffany (Yat Yee) Cheung nc09tche
Hong Kong Yvonne (Tze Yan) Yu nc09tyu
Iceland Silja Ingólfsdóttir nc09sing
India Shivangi Pattanaik nc09spat
Iran Omid Malekzadeh Arasteh nc09oara
Israel Astar Goldberg nc09agol
Israel Michael El-Hoziel nc09melh Arab Israeli
Italy Riccardo Maddalozzo nc09rmad
Jordan Farah Al Momani nc09falm
Kosovo Endrit Fejzullahu nc09efej
Latvia Endija Kreslina nc09ekre
Lebanon Jaafar Al Fakih nc09jalf
Lithuania Benas Klastaitis nc09bkla
Mexico Vanessa Cuervo Covián nc09acov
Morocco Myriem Benkirane nc09mben
Namibia Nikhita Winkler nc09nwin
Nepal Irina Giri nc09igir
Nepal Maya Gurung nc09mgur
Netherlands Sophie Dekker nc09sdek
New Zealand Motaz Al-Chanati nc09malc Palestine, Lebanon
Nicaragua Jennyfer Larios Martinez nc09jmar
Norway Adrian Broch Jensen nc09ajen
Norway Alexandra Solheim nc09asol
Norway Andreas Qvale Hovland nc09ahov
Norway Eivind Morris Bakke nc09ebak United States
Norway Ingeborg Flage nc09ifla
Norway Natalia Ophaug nc09noph Ukraine
Norway Nicholas Kirkvaag nc09nkir New Zealand
Norway Oda Johansen nc09ojoh
Norway Øystein Skråstad nc09oskr
Norway Sara Ambjørndalen nc09samb
Norway Vilde Kreyberg nc09vkre
Pakistan Naina Qayyum nc09nqay
Palestine Asil Abuassba nc09aabu
Panama Anyuri Betegón Arrocha nc09aarr
Peru Aurora Cano Choque nc09acho
Poland Wojciech Michno nc09wmic Sweden
Sierra Leone Fatima Bassir nc09fbas
Sierra Leone Musa Komeh nc09mkom
Singapore Rubez Chong Lu Ming nc09rmin
South Africa Thobile Nzimande nc09tnzi
Sri Lanka Kasun Bodawatta nc09kbod
Sudan Joy Minalla nc09jmin
Swaziland Thabiso Kunene nc09tkun
Sweden Agnes Hammarlund nc09aham
Sweden Axel Bjerke nc09abje
Sweden Ellen Rehnberg nc09ereh
Sweden Jeanette Trang nc09jtra
Sweden Kunal Chauhan nc09kcha
Sweden Sofie Pedersen nc09sped
Sweden Tea Thaning nc09ttha
Tajikistan Zukhra Sokhibova nc09zsok
Tanzania Ivonne Muganyizi nc09imug
Thailand Natana Kwangtong nc09nkwa
Thailand Nutcha Wattanachit nc09nwat
Tibet Tenzin Tayang nc09ttay
East Timor Octaviana Barros Faria nc09ofar
Ukraine Natalia Ophaug nc09noph
United Kingdom Josie Tiedeman nc09jtie England
United Kingdom Katie Lindsay nc09klin Wales
United States Matthew Enger nc09meng California
United States Tory Scott nc09tsco Colorado
Uruguay Mariana Fernandez Bertocchi nc09mber
Venezuela Rafael Contreras nc09rcon
Việt Nam Linh Tran Vu nc09pvu
Western Sahara Bakina Embarec Salec nc09bsal
Western Sahara Hamahu-Allah Mohamed nc09hmoh
Yemen Abdu Gubran nc09agub
Zambia Kula Wandi nc09kwan
All Images © 2010 Matthew Enger
Images marked with white ‘i’ © 2010 Ingeborg Flage
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Flekke © 2010 RCNUWC

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