Sammendrag
Michelle Lin from Montreal, Canada, was in Oslo for her internship. Read about her experiences and learnings here
My Time in Oslo
What’s been most interesting in this research environment is seeing how computing fits into scientific work. I’ve joined a team that uses machine learning and data analysis to study environmental questions related to eddy covariance and greenhouse gas fluxes,. It’s given me a completely different perspective on how technology can help us understand complex natural systems.
My Day to Day
My days are a mix of coding and talking with researchers. Most of my time goes into preparing datasets for analysis—cleaning up messy data, dealing with missing values, making sure everything lines up properly. I work mainly in Python, building pipelines that can be reused and adjusted as needed.
I’ve had the chance to present my work and findings to the other members of the lab and to hear about the ongoing work in the department. These conversations have taught me a lot about the gap between what an algorithm spits out and what it actually tells us about the real world. It’s made me much more careful about interpreting results, especially when the data itself is uncertain or incomplete.
The department is pretty international, so most communication happens in English, though you’ll hear Norwegian, German, (and even French!) around campus too.
Putting My Skills to Use
- Programming and ML: Building models, writing clean code, using version control properly
- Data work: Merging datasets, transforming formats, running statistical checks
- Communication: Writing documentation that others can actually follow, presenting updates without drowning people in technical details
But honestly, one of the biggest things I’ve learned is how to deal with uncertainty. Real-world data is messy in ways that textbook examples never quite capture. You have to understand not just the algorithms but also what the measurements actually represent and where they might be incomplete or still in an exploratory phase.
Life Outside the Lab
Oslo itself has been great. The city feels calm and organized, and you’re never far from nature—forests and lakes are just a short trip away. It’s a good place to think and decompress after a day of wrestling with code.
The academic culture here is different from what I’m used to. There’s more emphasis on independence but also really strong mentorship when you need it. People have been incredibly helpful and patient, always willing to explain data intricacies or talk through ideas.
Wrapping Up
This experience has shown me that computer science isn’t just about writing code—it’s about using those skills to answer real questions and work with people from completely different backgrounds. I feel more confident now in my ability to contribute to interdisciplinary projects.
I’m really grateful to everyone at both universities who made this happen. It’s been an important step in figuring out where I want to go with my work after I finish my Master’s.
