Name of the University: Université Toulouse 1 Capitole
Names of the students: Monika Lædre
Exchange semester: Fall 2011
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
1. The school and its surroundings: Nice surroundings situated in the very center of
Toulouse.
2. Current faculty divisions and special areas: The University is divided into three
different buildings. One is further away from the others.
3. Number of students - graduate and undergraduate – number of exchange students: Big
University. No other Norwegian exchange students in my classes, but there was a
lot of other exchange students in the other classes from different countries.
4. Study structure: There are classes that take place in the big amphi theatres and then
there are TD (travaux dirigés) wich are study classes supervised and directed by a
teacher in smaller rooms. The rooms for these study classes change all the time so
you can never be sure where you are suppose to meet up. It is very badly
organized so always check the announcements before you go.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
 When did you receive the information package from the University? I received the
information package when I got down there. However, I got some e-mails on
beforehand.
 Any difficulties: I had difficulties with getting access to the university website for
students and logging in with the right student number. It wasn’t always that easy.
It’s learning is much better.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
 What problems, if any did you encounter?
 Does the visa cost anything?
 How did you order your ticket – any problems? No problems just take a plain.
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date – introductory week: The French students start late. In Toulouse I had
class from the 12th of September. However, there was a compulsory information
meeting the 5th of September. The semester ends the 8th of December and the
exams are from the 3rd to the 15th of January. There was an introductory week and
the French students organized a lot of Erasmus welcoming parties as well as trips.
Reception
 How was the reception at the school? The reception was nice. The administration and
faculty were well prepared for my arrival. A few of the school’s students
participated in the reception of the exchange students.
Housing
 Did you have housing at your disposal or did you have to find your own housing? I had to
find my own housing because there was no room available at campus. That did not
bother me because sometimes the French campuses are really bad. If you want a
place to live, go into www.appartager.fr. It is a really good site.
Costs
 Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books, food, etc. I did not have to
by any books, so no expenses there. Food is much cheaper than in Norway and
much better. Everything is cheaper. Go to the cinema and get a loyalty card.
The International Office
 Is there an international office? Yes
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Who is responsible for incoming exchange students? Agnes Tersou et Karine Michelet
How does the international office function? There is an office and you go there and
knock on the door in the opening hours.
Do you receive all relevant information? Yes
Exchange promotion
 What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Norway at your
exchange university? I participated in an exchange faire for outgoing French
students.
Social Activities
 How is your relationship with other students? Good. They are nice and very helpful.
 How is the relationship among the exchange students? I just met one other exchange
student, from Holland.
 Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students part of it? There is a
student organization, but I don’t know if the exchange students are part of it.
 Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students? Yes, trips and
parties.
 How do you like it at the school? I had a good time. Interesting subjects. However,
they have class for one and a half hour before they have a fifteen minutes break,
and then class for another one and a half hour. At BI we have a fifteen minutes
break every 45 minutes which I think is much better, because you get really
exhausted after concentrating and focusing for one and a half hour.
Culture and Language
 Do you have any language problems with the faculty or other students? No
 How are the possibilities to experience the country and the culture? Good. One can take
the train and explore the region; for example the world’s biggest cathedral made of
brick situated in Albi (about one hour with the train from Toulouse). If you want to
know the French culture, hang out with some French students.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
 How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social point
of view? I think that you gain knowledge that others do not have when you go on
exchange. You get a broader vision, a better cultural understanding of the country
you are visiting and of the people, and you get better at socializing.
 How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
My French has gotten better so I think that will influence my future career
possibilities. When you go on exchange you show that you are not afraid to meet
new people, adapt to another school system, fix things yourself and socialize and
talk with foreigners. You also get to know things that others do not know about that
particular culture.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
 In which language are the courses taught? Any problems? I took courses in French.
The language was not a problem.
 How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI? The same,
although at BI it is up to yourself when you want to study. In France you have a lot
of compulsory “study classes” (TD) that you have to participate in to solve a group
task for example. If you are not present, and you do not have a doctor’s note, your
grade drops.
 Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical? Both
 Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a mix)? A mix
 How is the workload compared to that at BI? About the same
 How is the relationship between faculty and students? You do not know your teacher
as well as you do in Norway. You called them by either Mister or Misses. There are
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secretaries that are responsible for all the timetables, and it is really annoying
because these change all the time.
What is the relationship between the students in the classroom? Good
Required Literature
 Is the literature in English? No, it was in French. (There are also classes in English,
but I didn’t take these)
 How do you estimate the level of the literature? Little literature
 Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview? The teachers give
you what you need to read; articles, comments, PP-slides, exercises, etc.
 Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures? Most of it on the lectures.
Exams
 What types of exams were you given? The exams are shorter than at BI (from one and
a half to three hours)
 What knowledge level was required to pass the exams? I haven’t taken the exams yet.
THE EXAMS ARE IN JANUARY
Other
 Do students have easy access to the library and its resources? I don’t know. I did not
study much at the library.
 How is the access to the computers? I do not know. Although there are fewer
computers than at BI.
 How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information? Power Point is used a
lot.
Description of Courses
Course name:
Prereq.
Exam
Major at BI
Approved as
(Common/elective/extra)
Finance
mathematics and statistics
Written
Finance
Droit des société
None
Written
Business law
Communication
None
Written
Communication
Marketing
None
Written
Marketing
Stratégie
Strategy
Written
Strategy
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Names and e-mails:
The International Relations Office will appreciate if you will inform about your e-mail
addresses, so that other students can contact you for more information.
monika-laedre@hotmail.com