This year there are 4 from Agder on board Sørlandet

The students will be on the trip for a little over 9 months in total, and during that time they will visit 17 different ports.

– The biggest challenge here is yourself. The whole boat can't adapt to one person, so you have to learn to adapt to the community, says Seierstad.

– We talk a lot about taking people into consideration, and how good people are at it. I am positively surprised by that, says Rogild.

Could you take a year of high school at sea?

For the students on board the school ship Sørlandet The day starts at 6:50 a.m. with morning washing.

The cleaning is carefully inspected every day.

– We cannot risk illness or viruses on board, so the requirements for washing are strict, says Seierstad.

At half past seven in the morning there is breakfast, and at eight o'clock there is flag raising. Then it is a whirlwind of washing, teaching, and watches on deck. The students have both daytime and nighttime watches.

– One of the night shifts is from two to four o'clock. That's the shift that most people find quite difficult, because you can't quite fall asleep either before or after the shift, says Rogild.

Everyday school life also offers very special experiences. Students travel to different places and receive instruction that is closely linked to their surroundings.

Not only is the classroom on board a boat, it also functions as a dormitory. The beds are used as sofas during classes, and the students sleep either in hammocks or bunk beds.

– We have a large common area below deck that is divided into two sides. That's where we eat, have classes and sleep.

In the evening they hang up hammocks to sleep in, and in the morning the same room is converted into a dining area and classroom.

– That's where we are, if not on deck.

At the time of writing, the training ship has arrived in Charleston, USA.

To get there, the students have crossed the Atlantic, a trip that takes about three weeks.

– It was quite tiring, especially having 16 days of school in a row, says Rogild.

Both 17-year-olds have previous sailing experience, but they have never spent such a long period at sea before.

“Having so much time at sea was very strange. It was hard to get used to,” says Rogild.

– The voyages we have had before have only lasted a week, now we were at sea for three weeks, says Rogild.

During this period, the students have limited access to the outside world: when the boat sails, the mobile phones are collected, and several weeks can go by without coverage.

– I love not having my phone, it's been absolutely fantastic. You can suddenly relax in a completely different way, and I feel like I'm sleeping much better, says Rogild.

– At first it was unusual, but you always have people around you. I don't feel like I need my cell phone that much anymore, says Seierstad.

Rogild says he misses Norwegian food and being able to do what he wants when he wants. Nevertheless, he is very happy with the outcome of the trip so far.

“I feel like I've learned a lot,” he says.

– You learn to be considerate of each other. Everyone is going to have a day where you're just bored and tired, so you just have to learn to respect that, he continues.

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