Student Report
Spring 2015 – University of Ljubljana
Before leaving Norway
The practical information I received was mainly about the city, university and
exchange. The main difficulty was getting information about accommodation,
which I choose to be private.
Travel
Finding travel to Ljubljana is easy, but booking in advance if you are taking 2
bags with you is better as it will be cheaper.
Housing
The University offers student dormitory at a much cheaper rate than private
accommodation, but student dorms are all shared rooms and a short taxi or bus
ride from town. Choosing to have private accommodation in Ljubljana in the
beginning was scary mainly because I had to find an accommodation by myself
and the university didn’t really help out. So I had to stay in a hostel for 2 weeks
before finding an apartment in the center.
Cost
Slovenia is much cheaper compared to Norway. One of the best things about
going on exchange in Slovenia is the Student Coupon System that allows you to
have 20 subsidized meals in any restaurant. So this keeps the cost of food down
and leaves money for other things. Ljubljana is a flat town and buying a bike is
recommended over buying a bus pass. I was quite lucky with my apartment
which was in town and for a good price per month all included.
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
250 EUR
0 EUR
50 EUR
120 EUR
50 EUR
Culture and Language
Nearly everyone in Ljubljana speaks English due to huge amount of tourism that
they get, but I advise to learn some basic words of the local language because
people will appreciate that you try to speak their language. Slovenia is a
surprisingly culturally diverse nation, with influences from Germany, Italy and
Balkans. Traveling Slovenia and seeing the different regions is highly
recommended as it has very nice sights. Also traveling to other countries that
Slovenia is so close to with exchange friends is an experience that will last
forever.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
The school is smaller than BI as the campus reflects that. Though the classrooms
are smaller than BI, this makes the participation of students better and engaging
in debates with lecturers is encouraged. The location of the university is not in
town but a 5 min bus ride from the center and about a 15-20 min bike ride from
the center. Being on the outskirts of Ljubljana, the Campus has lots of greenery
and during spring has festivals right beside the campus.
Course registration
Course registration was done during the beginning of February and the
add/drop period was after 2 weeks of the start of the semester.
Academic Calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special
events/holidays:
Other:
12 feb
19th feb
2nd june
May-June
Spring Holiday
Arrival
I had to take a taxi to the hostel where I stay for 2 weeks while finding a house to
live in for the semester. During that time there was introduction week that was
filled with activities, parties and sight seeing. This is a great way to meet other
exchange students and potential housemates.
The International Office
The people working for the international office are very responsive and help you
out as much as they can.
Social Activities
During exchange in Slovenia you are going to meet lots of people both native and
fellow exchange students as well. Ljubljana is very much a student town so there
a lots of parties for exchange students and other students as well. Walking in
Ljubljana is very safe at night which is a positive aspect of Ljubljana, however the
town can seem very empty during certain nights.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
The teachers are very competent at the university. The teaching style differ a bit
from BI as they use a lot more videos, group discussions and ask for participation
from the students. There is more workload from the courses and require time
but are simple. Other than that it isn’t that much harder than BI.
Course material
Mainly the course material was through PowerPoint and articles. It mostly
centered on theory and international examples.
Exams
The exams were based on material from the lectures that we had. The grade that
you achieve at the end of the semester is divided up in group work, individual
assignments and exams which are at the end of the semester. 30 % group work,
20% individual assignments and 50% exams is the average grading weight of the
courses I took.
Library and Technology
The facility at the University of Ljubljana are good and caters to all students
needs. The library has enough spots for you to study in and during spring is so
nice to sit outside and read. There are computers for students who need to use
them on every floor.
Description of courses
Course code &
name
Example:FIN123
Finance
International Trade
& Globalization
International
Business
International
Business
Management
Global Finance
Business
communication
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisite
s
None
Approved
as
Elective
None
Elective
Bachelor
4-hour written
exam
1.5 hour exam
Bachelor
1.5 hour exam
None
Mandatory
Bachelor
1.5 hour exam
None
Elective
Bachelor
Bachelor
1.5 hour exam
1.5 hour exam
None
None
Elective
Elective
On a final note
Ljubljana was a great experience because of the friends gained while doing an
exchange semester. The friends I have made while in Ljubljana are one I hope to
keep for life as we all experienced so many great moments together.
Academically speaking, Ljubljana expanded my horizons by learning about the
international business scene. After taking the Global Finance course I have a
renewed interest in global financial markets and reading articles. Slovenia has an
interesting background that deserves to be explored when you are on exchange
there.