GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Student Report
Name of the University: Ecole de Management Grenoble
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?
We received several emails from the exchange coordinator at the host university with both
practical information about courses, different associations that could aid us at arrival (they can
help you with finding housing and parties), the online school platform etc. The coordinator
was really helpful and was quick to reply.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
Because Norway is a part of the Schengen agreement, we did not have to apply for a visa.
Travel
The two best options that we found was to either fly to Lyon and take the bus/train (frequent
departure) to Grenoble, or fly to Geneva and take the bus/train(frequent departure) to
Grenoble. Norwegian (airline) has direct routes to Geneva.
Traveling around in Grenoble we used Metro Velo (city bikes), they cost 35€ for three months
(if you are under 26 years old). We really enjoyed having the bikes because it was so easy to
get around. The trams stop going after approx. midnight.
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university? If not, did you receive support from the
school?
The school inform you of different options of housing and places you can find available
housing (similar to finn.no). We actually ended up with renting an apartment through air
b´n´b (airbnb.com) and was very satisfied with that solution. Many of our classmates had to
pay an agent fee (one month of pay) when using some of the suggested solutions. This fee is
normal, but you will not have to pay this when using air b´n´b. However, be advised that
proprietors may claim that you have to pay city tax (1€ pr day), but we avoided this as the bill
was passed during our stay. It should be mentioned in the air b’n’b contract for it to matter.
Costs
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
350-650€
100€
350-450€
35€
…€
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
Most of the employees at the faculty spoke English, so this was not a huge problem. In class,
we only spoke English, so it was no problems communicating with either teacher or students.
Regarding the city in general, people generally spoke English surprisingly enough. However,
this demands a couple of curtesy phrases in French, which then lead to an easier switch to
English.
-
How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
Grenoble is actually located pretty central in the west of France. If you have the opportunity
to rent a car, the possibilities are huge in terms of traveling. We had several road trips to the
beautiful French riviera (the south coast). If you book in advance (approx. a month) you can
get fairly cheap tickets for the TGV train going to Paris in only 3 hours. The train/ also takes
you to Lyon in 1 hour. Italy is only approx. 2 hours away with car, so it is possible to travel
there. The area near Grenoble is really beautiful as you have mountains surrounding the city.
We went on several hikes and excursions, which we can recommend if this appeals to you.
France really has a lot to offer, beautiful landscape, extremely good food and beverages and
people. When it comes to how the French system and people work, it is important to just be
patient and go with the flow. Every process demands a lot of paperwork and certifications
from other institutions. Just accept it. We became a bit frustrated in the beginning, but after
some time you understand how it works and you will be able to create a bank account and get
a cellphone subscription.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school (location, size, study structure, special academic areas etc.)
The school is located near the train station and is relative central and you can easily take the
tram to school. Grenoble is a really small city, so it is difficult to be really far away from what
is considered the center. The classrooms at the school are somewhat old, and the ventilation
was not always working with us (heating when warm outside and cooling when cold outside).
Additionally the internet connection on the premises was horrible, but this may be changed
during the coming semester as they experienced a lot of complaints.
Course registration
- When and how did you register for courses?
We did not have to register for any courses since we were enrolled to a program.
-
When did the add/drop period end?
We were able to drop one course since the program we enrolled to gave us 30 ECTS and we
were only required to obtain 24 ECTS. This was easily done with some communication with
the international office at BI and GEM.
Academic calendar
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
07.09.14
14.09.14
19.12.14
15-17.12.14
One week in October
The International Office
- As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information?
The international office provided us with sufficient and relevant information.
Social activities
- How was the relationship with native students and that among exchange students?
Since we attended a program, we had the same class in all our courses. This helped us
creating a really good relationship with our classmates, both the natives and the other foreign
students. This however, is up to you in terms of how much you want to participate/initiate
yourself.
-
Are there any special activities, student organizations, and gatherings for exchange
students?
The school has many different student organizations. You can rent different food equipment
from the food organization, party with the party organization and attend different types of
sports with the athletic organizations. There are quite a lot of association parties as each
association throws a party per semester. Additionally, there is one particular event where the
Bastille (Defense castle) is rented by the school, and there is a huge party with a great view.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style (practical, theoretical, cases/lectures, formal/informal
etc.)
The teaching was highly interactive and required the students to participate verbally in class
and prior to class (readings, presentations etc.). The setting was somewhat formal, but the bar
was low for the students to raise questions and discussions.
-
How is the level and workload compared to that at BI?
We noticed that BI hold a much higher level and workload than GEM. This is probably
related to the fact that the French teaching system is a bit different than what we have in BI.
The program that we attended was changed just some weeks before we arrived to France,
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
which resulted in us participated in courses we was not envisaged when applying for the
exchange. But then again we got more time to explore what France had to offer.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint,
level of course material etc).
The school does expect you to buy any books as all the literature and power points are shared
in the French version of It’slearning. We did however buy one or two books just be sure, but
they were not needed in the end.
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
The exams were based mostly on lectures, but there was some extra reading for some of the
classes. Be aware that some teachers will divide the class into groups with respective topics to
each group. Although these group work sessions seem irrelevant in some cases, we
experienced questions related to topics which our groups did not even work with.
-
How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
We only had written exams primarily multiple choice, but also a mix between written and
multiple choice. There were no mid-term exams, only oral presentations which accounted
differently for the respective courses. We did have quizzes in one class (Information systems)
but we were always warned and well informed of this. There are quite a lot of small
assignments and group work were you will not be allowed to join people from your
nationality. But these are quite easy tasks, and lets you get more acquainted with your
classmates. Attendance is called in every class. There is a lot of discussion during class which
is very good for learning not only the courses but also about the different nationalities and
cultural differences.
Library and technology
- Describe the facilities
There are not a lot of computers on the premises and the library is quite small. Additionally
there are few group rooms to study in, and no quite rooms for studying.
Description of courses
Course code & name
Example:FIN123
Finance
Strategic Marketing
Human Resource
Management
Information Systems
Behavior at work and
psychosocial risk
Corporate finance
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
4-hour written
exam
None
Master
Master
3-hour written
3-hour written
Master
Master
Final paper
Final Paper
Master
3-hour written
Approved
as
Elective
Comments
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Supply Chain
Management
Master
2-hour written
On a final note, how will you sum up the exchange experience?
It was an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives, and definitively something we
want to recommend. We learned much more than expected about the cultural difference
between Norway and France, and not to mention all the other nationalities we encountered
there. The stay will be what you make it to be. So join social events, be active in class and
invite your classmates to dinner or pre-parties. There are a lot of other people there that are on
exchange, and they want exactly the same as you, to get to know more people and experience
France. Learn as much French as you possibly can before and during your stay, as this will
impress every French person you meet, and will help you when in need. In terms of future
career possibilities, you will increase your social network substantially but it is up to you to
keep in touch after your stay as well.