STUDENT REPORT
Student Report
Name of the University: Kansai Gaidai University, Osaka, Japan
Exchange semester: Fall, 2014
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
- When and how did you receive information from the exchange university, and did you
encounter any difficulties?
Don't remember exactly when the information came, but I had plenty of time with
ordering tickets and getting everything settled.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
- How did you apply for your visa, what did it cost and did you have difficulties?
Costs almost nothing, and no problems getting it fixed. Keep in mind that you have to
go to Oslo, in person, to do this. You should call or email the Japanese Embassy ahead
of time, to set up an appointment and ask them what you need to bring. They only take
payment in cash. Also, their Norwegian and English isn't always the best.
Travel
- How did you travel to your destination?
I used FinnAir, both going there and back again. Also found good prices at Turkish
Airlines and Qatar Airways. Flew from Oslo (OSL) to Helsinki (HEL) to Osaka
(KIX).
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university? If not, did you receive support from the
school?
There are seminar houses you can stay in, as well as host families. They also give you
some links on how to find private apartments, but don't bother. You can get single
rooms at the seminar houses if you need to (although more expensive). I highly
HIGHLY recommend Seminar House 3. It has a different layout, where you share
kitchens/bathrooms with fewer people. It's more like one big apartment, rather than a
hallway with 2-person rooms, and then a giant kitchen/bath.
Costs
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Lived for free. Japanese girlfriend. 
250 kr, cheap stuff.
Who keeps count… It's cheaper than
Norway anyway.
Get an ICOCA card! It's super easy.
Contact me if you need help.
STUDENT REPORT
Other
I recommend travelling to Korea, it's
close and cheap. 
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
Absolutely not. Everyone who needs to know English, knows English. Not very well
maybe, but enough to be understood.
-
How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
Lots of school-arranged stuff, just remember to check the noticeboards. You make
Japanese friends easily too, they're very friendly. Makes it easier to get around.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school (location, size, study structure, special academic areas etc.)
Pretty great campus. Beautiful outdoor areas, nice buildings. McDonald's on site
(cheaper than Norway, dangerous for health!)
Course registration
- When and how did you register for courses?
You do this when you arrive. One of the first weeks. It's an easy online system, and
you'll get all the info you need from Kansai Gaidai in good time.
-
When did the add/drop period end?
Couple of weeks later. Again, you'll get all the info you need in good time.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
22. August
1. September
18. December
First bit of December
None  
Arrival
- Describe the introduction week
Lots of "mandatory" stuff that isn't actually mandatory. Go if you can, but don't panic
if you miss something. All the info you really need you get on paper anyway.
The International Office
- As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information?
STUDENT REPORT
The Kansai Gaidai staff are INCREDIBLY helpful. This goes for most people in
Japan, actually. They will do their very best to help you.
Promoting BI and Norway
- What kind of activities were you involved in to promote exchange to Norway at your
exchange university?
Some Japanese students wish to go to Norway. Most of them choose University of
Oslo, because almost all the Kansai Gaidai students are language majors. Some do
take economics, however, and might be happy to have someone from BI to talk to. I
didn't meet anyone.
Social activities
- How was the relationship with native students and that among exchange students?
Excellent. Simply excellent. There's something for everyone, from geeks to sports to music.
Don’t worry about making friends.
-
Are there any special activities, student organisations, and gatherings for exchange
students?
Lots of clubs and "circles" (fancier clubs). Also tons of other activities and events going on. If
you for some strange reason can't find anything, ask one of the Japanese friends that I
guarantee you'll make. Don't worry about it.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style (practical, theoretical, cases/lectures, formal/informal etc.)
Varies a lot from teacher to teacher, just like anywhere else. Some teachers are boring, some
are great. I found most of the Kansai Gaidai teachers to be good, though. No complaints here.
-
How is the level and workload compared to that at BI?
Well, how much do you work at BI? If you're a slacker, then there'll be a lot more in Japan, at
least in the Japanese language classes. There is daily homework, it will get checked, and it
does count towards your grade. Think "ungdomsskole". As for the other classes, it depends on
the teacher. Some are closer to Norwegian system (nobody cares if you do your homework,
it's your loss if you don’t), others are more insistent.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint, level
of course material etc).
Almost all the teachers use powerpoint. Most of them make the slides available online
AFTER the classes (they have a system kind of like itslearning). Most of them also either post
.pdf files for you to read, or give you paper handouts. I only had to buy books for my
Japanese language classes, all the rest had digital readings or paper handouts.
STUDENT REPORT
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
Both, usually.
-
How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
Varies from class to classc. There'll be info about the exam style in the course catalogue.
Most of them have at least a midterm and a finals, plus participation. Some have more stuff.
Some have less. Just check the course catalogue or email the lecturers, they're happy to help.
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Final exam (include form: written, oral, home assignment, presentation, etc.)
Mid-term exam
In-class quizzes throughout semester
Small assignments and/or papers
Presentations
Group work
Class attendance
Class participation/debates
Library and technology
- Describe the facilities
Great library, open from 09:00 - 20:00 most days. Computer rooms, video viewing room, lots
of tables, lots of books. Great place to study (or sleep, if you're Japanese. You'll see what I
mean if you go.)
Description of courses
Please list below all the courses you took while on exchange. Your comments are useful for
BI and for future exchange students, include information on the qacadmic level, challenges,
relevance to your studies, if the course was practical/theoretical, any enrolment issues, etc.
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International Financial Markets (approved as: finance). Exam: Two quizzes, one
midterm exam and one finals exam. Both quizzes and exams only last about 1 hour.
Lecturer is great. Doesn't take attendance, loves donuts. If you have to have a finance
class, this is probably your best choice.
Global Business Teams (approved as: strategy). Exam: Two group projects. Tons of
group work. If you don't like group work, don’t take this class. If you do like it, take it.
It's a great class. Best group-based class ever. I kid you not. Lecturer is a pretty cool
guy. He takes attendance, and doesn’t like to post his powerpoint slides, but is pretty
good at his job.
Popular Media & Culture (approved as: elective). Exam: Midterm and finals (OR you
can write a research paper instead of taking the finals). Fantastic class if you want to
learn about Japanese media and culture. Deals with paintings, manga, anime, drama
TV, music, politics, and lots of other stuff. Lecturer is awesome. He does take
attendance, but doesn't care if you're late. If you have no interest in Japanese popular
media, you will probably be bored. If you like it? Take all of this guy's classes.
STUDENT REPORT
I also had Spoken Japanese, and Reading/Writing Japanese. But those are mandatory, so
you're gonna have them anyway. Lots of homework, lots of tests and quizzes. Midterms and
finals. It's tough, I won't lie, but you'll learn a lot of language, if you bother to work well. 
Ganbatte!
On a final note, how will you sum up the exchange experience?
I initially wanted to go to Tokyo. This was not possible with my degree (økonomi &
administrasjon). Osaka, however, turned out to be absolutely fantastic. Believe me when I say
that Japan is Japan. It doesn’t matter if you go to Tokyo or Osaka or anywhere else, it's still
Japan. The people are friendly, super polite, and everything is awesome. I didn't want to go
back, but granding people extensions isn't a thing BI does. Don't even bother asking.
If you like Japan, have an interest in Japan, then go. You won't regret. Don’t worry about the
language. I didn’t speak any Japanese at all when I left Norway, yet I haven't gotten lost yet,
and even if I did, the Japanese classes quickly teach you what you need to find the nearest
train station anyway.
By the way, everyone will likely buy bikes. This is pretty cheap. 500kr for a brand new lady
basket bike (yeah, whatever, they work). 250kr if you buy used. You might want to ask your
roommate (if you have one) or host family to help you with this as early as possible, as all the
good/cheap bikes will get grabbed by other students.
Also, get an ICOCA card when you arrive. Seriously. It might be a little difficult if you don't
know any Japanese or don't have anyone to help you, but just grab any of the train station
workers and ask them "Sumimasen, ICOCA card?" and they'll likely show you to a machine
with English language where you just push the ICOCA button, feed it some yen (just give it
2-3000 yen, you'll use it anyway), and then the machine prints a card for you there and then.
Now you have super easy access to buses and trains in all of the Kansai area (Osaka, Kobe,
Kyoto). Just place the card on the yellow card surface near the ticket gates or in the bus, it'll
go "BEEP", and then let you thorugh. You do the same thing when you get off the bus or exit
the train station at wherever you're going - and it will show you how much money it cost and
how much you've got left on your card.
If you have any questions at all please contact me through the International Office at BI.