Student Report
Name of the University: IESEG School of Management.
Exchange semester: Fall 2014.
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
I received an acceptance letter on email in the beginning of May with an IESEG information
folder attached, where all information needed was given. The information provided from
IESEG was sufficient and thus no difficultuies encountered.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
Did not have any problems on this part; since France is a part of the European Union, I did
not need Visa or any documentation for living/studying here.
Travel
Since I live in Levanger during summers, I had to fly from Værnes to Gardermoen and then to
Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Flight time is approximately two hours from Oslo to Paris.
The travelling time is 30-40 min, when taking the express train from the airport to Paris.
Housing
The school does not provide housing, however they help you get in touch with landlords in
the nearby area. The most used option they provided was the student apartments in La
Defense. It costs around 700 euro, and you live about 10min walk from the school and 20min
metro ride from the city center. Many of my friends went for this option and the feedback I
got from them was that the flats was not worth the money.
Costs
Approximately how much per month did you spend on rent, books, food,
transportation, and other personal expenses?
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
5000 NOK
500 NOK
3500 NOK
800 NOK
3000 NOK
I rented an apartment with my girlfriend in 7 arrondissement so my rent costs was lower than
average. Rent cost depends on whether you choose to rent your own flat or share with others,
but in most cases the price range is between 6000-10000 NOK for a one-room studio,
depending on where in Paris you’re looking. In all intensive courses are books provided in
form of slides and articles handed out during class. For extensive courses you may have to
buy books, however this depends on the course structure. Overall cost of living is lower than
in Norway, however some services is more expensive. For example is a monthly metro card
twice as expensive as a bus card in Noway.
Culture and language
All communication between studens and school staff was in English. Being in France, you
should be prepared for some strong accents. Unfortunately was some of the teachers accent so
bad that it was difficult to understand the content of their teaching, but this happened only in
few occations. Otherwise is all study materials and teaching in English, unless you choose to
have courses in other languages. I strongly recommend coming students to choose French
debutant courses at IESEG, this will make your everyday life in Paris easier due to the fact
that many Parisians don’t know English that well.
During the stay in Paris, you will have the opportunity to explore Paris and its amazing
cultural offerings. The city is crowded with museums, café’s, theatres and famous builings
waiting to be visited. If you are citizen of one of the countries in the European Union and
under 26 years of age, most of the city’s museums will be free on Sundays. Even though
Norway is not a member of the European Union, I always got a free pass when I showed my
passport at the entrance on Sundays.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
IESÈG is located right outside Paris in an up-coming district called la Defénse under the third
arch of Paris, Grand Arche. You can get there with bus, train and metro. It is a small school
that is located under ground. Right by the school is a huge shopping mall but also skyscrapers. Enrollment is approximately 4000 students, divided between two campuses. Campus
Lille is the largest one, with 2500 students.
Course registration
When you are accepted as an exchange student you receive a course catalogue on mail with
information regarding every course available. The first learning agreement had to be filled out
before 15.May. This learning agreement is only temporary, and your final courses will not be
determined until two weeks after semester start. The add/drop period is from semester start to
15.September. All exchange students had to re-organize their original learning agreement due
to course changes and cancellations.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
17.August
26.August
1.September
5.Des-17.Des
Autumn break mid
Nov.
Arrival
The introduction week was arranged by the international club at IESEG. It consisted of four
days with information seminars at school during the day and other happenings/parties during
evenings. The international club arranged parties, picnics, a boat trip and other fun activites.
The welcoming was really good and it is a fantastic way to get to know your new class mates.
I met many of my best friends during the introduction week, and I recommend to participate
on every activity in order to get to know as many as possible.
The International Office
The staff at the international office at school are very helpful in case you have any questions.
However I recommend to read as much as possible about course registration, course structure
etc in advance since a lot of information is given during the first days, and you might not get
to absorb everything at once.
Promoting BI and Norway
During the semester the school arranges a fair where the different exchange students promote
the schools and countries they come from. This takes place at the School and IESÈG provides
you with all the material you need. You are there to answer questions. I got the impression
that many of my fellow students were interested in Norway, and opportunities for exchange in
particular.
Social activities
In all my classes the majority were non-french, still I had the pleasure of doing two group
projects with French students. In general I found it easier to get in touch with other exchange
students.
The international club arranged several activities and parties during the semester. They even
arranged trips to Disneyland, Amsterdam and northern France. Some of us exchange students
rented an indoor football field every Friday. There is always something to do when you are in
Paris, whether it is arranged by the school or not.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style (practical, theoretical, cases/lectures, formal/informal
etc.)
The teaching style at IESEG varies a lot and depends on whether you have chosen extensive
or intensive courses. In most of the intensive courses, the teaching style is tutorials with
emphasis on participation and discussion. The intensive course structure often consist of
tutorials, group projects, presentations and exams. It is mix of both theoretical and practical
approaches. In the extensive courses the teaching style was mainly turtorials with a mix of
theoretical and practical approaches. Teachers often handed out cases for us to solve, which
was graded. And due to its longer duration, the theoretical aspects of the course was more
emphasized.
-
How is the level and workload compared to that at BI?
In general I find the workload at BI bigger, but it is difficult to compare since the course
structures are so different. At IESEG I spent most of my study hours doing research and
writing group assignments, whereas at BI I mainly read and do exercises. The workload can
be quite big at IESEG as well, however the level of study is much higher at BI.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint,
level of course material etc).
The courses are often based on PowerPoint presentations that you receive. In addition there
may be cases and articles you have to read. Books are seldom used.
Exams and grades
Grades are often based on more than just one exam. It can be based on presentations you have
had in class, case studies you have done, MCQ:s and exams. Often class participation is 30 %
of the grade; which implies that you have to attend. Of you miss more than two classes, you
fail the course. Some of the extensive courses had only one final written exam, although most
of them had mid terms and presentations.
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.
Course code & name
OPS-MA-EI67UE
Business Sustainable
Development
NGT-MA-EI31UE
Decisions Games and
Negotiations
IBE-MA-FI65UE
Economics of the
Welfare State
Master/
Bachelor
Master
Exam form
Prerequisites
Group project
Master
Master
IBE-MA-FI66UE
Emerging Markets and
Risk Evaluation
Master
OPS-MA-EI27UE
Enterprise Simulation of
Production Systems
Master
STR-B3-CE01UE
Fundamentals of
Strategy
Bachelor
Comments
None
Approved
as
Elective
Assignment
None
Elective
Fun and
engaging
Presentation and
group
assignment
Presentation and
group report
None
Elective
Very
interesting
None
Elective
Individual and
group
assignment
MCQ, casestudies, written
exam and
assignments
None
Elective
None
Elective
Interesting
topic, poor
teacher
Practical
but not
relevant
Very
interesting
and
relevant
Interesting
consepts
FIN-IN-EI02UE
Financial Management
NEG-IN-EI01UE
International Purchasing
FIN-B3-CE02UE
Financial Markets
Master
Written exam
None
Elective
Poor level
Master
Presentation
None
Elective
Bachelor
None
Elective
OPS-MA-EI64UE
International Trade
Operations
FIN-MA-EI68UE
Introduction to
Insurance
MRK-MA-EI42UE
Managing the on-line
business
Master
Mid-term and
final exam. Both
MCQ and
written
Group Project
None
Elective
Practical
and easy
Very
interesting
and
relevant
Practical
and easy
Master
Group Project
None
Elective
Practical
and easy
Master
Group project
None
Elective
OPS-MA-EI52UE SAP
for Supply Chain
Management
FIN-MA-EE76UE
Systemic Risk
Master
Written exam
None
Elective
Interesting
but not
relevant
Hands on
and fun
Master
Written exam
Basic finance
Elective
Very
interesting
and
relevant.
On a personal basis, this exchange has been part of my development of becoming a more
independent person. I strongly believe that the only way to grow as a person is to seek
challenges and put yourself in new situations, which you can learn from. During this
exchange I have increased my knowledge about the French culture and history, gotten to
know students from other parts of the world and challenged myself in so many ways. In
addition I have developed my English skills and had the pleasure of learning some French. I
can highly recommend France and IESEG as the destination for your exchange.