Dawid Sasha Golota is a member of OsloMet Gaming. Photo: Mina K. Abrahamsen

Student associations make learning easier
Student Dawid Sasha Golota became more open after joining OsloMet Gaming. Associate Professor Marius Lysebo finds that student associations contribute to greater engagement in teaching.
"I have become better at collaborating with people and being more open and inviting", says Dawid Sasha Golota.
They are in their second year of a bachelor's degree in art and design – majoring in art and communication at OsloMet.
Dawid Sasha joined OsloMet Gaming after talking to one of the association's board members at Association Day. After they joined the student association, student life and being new to Oslo became much better.
"I found my second family here in Oslo", they say.
Got to know many people
They quickly became active in the association and helped organize the monthly events. After a year, they joined the association's board.
Their interest in games, especially Dungeons & Dragons, was the starting point for them becoming members.
"I gradually got to know some really nice people in the association, and then I was completely absorbed", says Dawid Sasha.
Dare to get involved professionally
"It is at least as important for us employees that associations exist", says Marius Lysebo, Associate Professor at Faculty of Technology, Art and Design.
As a teacher, he finds it a great advantage if there are some social ties in the student group. Then it is much easier to make the teaching activities work well, since the students have a psychological security.
"They dare to get involved in the academic field because they have someone they know", says Marius.
Closer contact with students
In addition to the social security that the associations can provide, Marius has experienced that interesting academic issues have emerged from the events of the line associations. This has created closer contact between him and the students.
"It is fantastic to come into a classroom the day after an event and hear the enormous buzz about everything that happened yesterday. Then the students can raise their hands and say: “We have thought of something,” says Marius.
Employees must help the associations
He believes that OsloMet should see the importance of the student associations and take good care of them. Employees can contribute by helping the associations along the way, when they need it, and responding immediately when they make an inquiry.
He himself is contacted weekly by student associations who do not know where to turn.
"Here, as an employee, I have to help them along the way", says Marius.