Student Report
Name of the University: Northumbria University/ Newcastle business school
Exchange semester: Spring, 2015
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
Northumbria University first got in touch with me via email in the beginning of October. The
email included how to apply for the school and what contracts and papers needed signing.
When this was done I got accepted in the second half of November. After getting accepted
into the school I got all the information needed to select courses, find accommodation and
general information about the University all through email. I did not encounter any difficulties
and if I had any questions the university was fast to reply and help sort the matter.
Applying for a visa
Norwegian students are not required to apply for a visa when going on an exchange to the
UK.
Travel
I travelled by plane to Newcastle Airport. However there are no direct flights from Oslo
Airport Gardermoen to Newcastle. Personally I travelled with KLM and had to change flights
in Amsterdam. It is also possible to have a stopover in London, Copenhagen and Stavanger.
Another option is to fly to a city nearby Newcastle, like Edinburgh or London, and from that
city travel by train.
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university? If not, did you receive support from the
school?
The university provided housing, and I had the option of choosing between multiple
accommodations in different price ranges. Most of the student accommodation was situated
within a 10 minute walk from the university and business school. The university provided
information about the accommodations available and how to apply in the initial emails.
Costs
- Approximately how much per month did you spend on rent, books, food,
transportation, and other personal expenses?
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Gym (Sport Central)
Phone
6500 NOK/Month*
0 NOK**
3500 NOK/Month
0 NOK***
1500 NOK/Semester
190 NOK/Month
* The monthly cost was 6500 however the contract time was one month longer than
the semester, so I had to pay for one extra month even when I was not living there.
**The library had a good selection of my course books and ebooks were available
which meant that there was no need to buy any books.
*** There is no need to use any form of transportation on a day-to-day basis, as the
city is relatively small.
Culture and language
I had no difficulties with the language, as English was the primary language at the University.
Even though the students were from all over the world the university has language
requirements that makes sure that students speak relatively good English.
It is easy to travel around England by train, bus and even plane. The student union at the
University did arrange daytrips to nearby cities and places, however information about the
trips is not widely available and the easiest is to make an enquiry to the student union directly.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school (location, size, study structure, special academic areas etc.)
The city campus where the business school is located is about a ten minute walk from city’s
the main street. As a business student all classes are held in the business school, making it
easy to get from one class to another. The library is located on the other side of the city
campus, however the campus is of a manageable size and it takes around five minutes to walk
from one side to the other.
Course registration
After being accepted into the university I received an email explaining how to apply for the
different courses. A list of modules/courses is available on the university website and I was
asked to make a prioritize list of 10 modules I was interested in taking. This list was sent back
to the university by email.
- When did the add/drop period end?
The final course list was available at the online student portal of the university when the
timetable was available. This was available a few days before the semester started.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
10.01.15
19.01.15*
01.05.15
05.05.15-22.05.15
13.03.15 – 17.04.15**
* Whilst the official lectures started on the 19th, the introduction week started on the
12th of January.
** Easter holiday/spring break.
Arrival
The introduction week at Northumbria was mostly focused on the courses and the academic
part of the exchange. Every day we had a few hours of introduction into different parts of the
university and what is expected with the other international students at our program. There
was also a campus tour for international students from all programs at the university.
As the introduction week was very focused on the academic aspects, the social part was not as
well taken care of as I would have hoped. This means that everyone actively have to engage
with the other international students in order to get to know new people.
The International Office
I received all the information I needed from the international office and the office in the
business school. If I had a question it was easy to stop by and ask or send an email.
Social activities
As my exchange was in the second semester of the second year most of the native students
already had their group of friends and where therefor not that interested in getting to know
international students. I did however have some group work with native students and they
were very open and nice during this.
The exchange students are a lot more open to make new friends and they are easy to get to
know. We became a group of around 40 exchange students that had a great time together in
Newcastle.
There are not any organisations or organisations specifically catered to exchange students.
However Newcastle is a student city and there is always a lot going on, the student union have
different events and the city in general is student friendly.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
The teaching style of Northumbria University is somewhat different to the teaching style at
BI. In each course the norm is to have two lectures, similar to the ones at BI, and one seminar
a week. Most lectures and seminars last for one hour. In lectures there are usually more
students than in seminars. Seminars are more informal than lectures, and consist of group
work, presentations and other tasks, although these do normally not count towards the final
mark in the course. This is an opportunity to get feedback from the seminar leaders as well as
more personal help in the course.
- How is the level and workload compared to that at BI?
I had the opportunity to choose from two different levels of courses. The ones I choose was
however at approximately the same level as the ones at BI. The workload was also relatively
the same as it is expected that students work outside of lectures and prepare for seminars.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used
The course material is very similar to what is used at BI. The lecturers use powerpoint for
their presentations. These are closely connected to the books and articles that are included in
the course material. In seminars case studies are often used for a more practical approach to
the course than the lectures.
Exams
The exams and assignments were based on both course material and lectures.
Even though group work and presentations are common in seminars these are usually not
compulsory and does not count towards the final mark in the course. Most courses at
Northumbria University are evaluated by home assignments. Some courses however have
written exams and/or group work that count for some or all of the mark in the course.
Library and technology
The facilities are not as nice as BI, but they are definitely sufficient. The library is relatively
big and spacious with team working zones, silent rooms and normal computer rooms. There
were a lot of computers available, as it seems that just a minority brings their own laptops.
However in the assessment period it could be hard to find a free spot in the library.
The library had a good selection of books and other course material and an easy system for
taking books home was in place using only the student card and a personal code to be able to
borrow books.
Description of courses
Course code & name
MO0256
Transport and Inventory
Management
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Written home
assignment (100%)
Approved as
Logistics
MK0273
Markets and Customers
Bachelor
Group work (20%)
2-hour exam (80%)
Elective
MK0274
Marketing
Communications
Bachelor
Written home
assignment (100%)
Elective
Comments
Recommended
course.
Enthusiastic
lecturer.
Very interesting
and with a more
practical approach
to marketing.
A good marketing
course with a
broad range of
subjects.
Sum up the exchange experience
The exchange has been an amazing experience that I will never forget. It has changed my
approach to new situations and meeting new people. I have experienced different cultures,
both the English and the cultures of all the amazing exchange students I have met. My
English and most of all my confidence in speaking English have improved tremendously. This
has been an experience I would not be without and I have made friends for a lifetime.