Student Exchange Report
Cass Business School
Autumn 2013
Name of the University: Cass Business School
Exchange semester: Autumn 2013
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
- When and how did you receive information from the exchange
university?
I received some basic information in the beginning of May from the
exchange office in London. The pre-departure guide gave
information about the school, the different faculties, housing and
different social activities.
-
Any difficulties in preparing (application, housing, contact, courses,
etc)?
I did not experience any difficulties in preparing for my leave to
Cass Business School. I got great guiding from both exchange offices
regarding both housing and when choosing the courses.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
- How did you apply for your visa?
Norwegian citizens don’t need visa to study in the UK and therefore
I did not encounter any problems or had any cost regarding the
application for the visa
Travel
- How did you travel to your destination? Any problems?
I travelled with plane from Gardemoen to London Heathrow and
then took the Heathrow Express train to Paddington, and a cab to
Liberty Court.
Housing
- Did the university provide housing, or did you have to find your
own housing?
There was some housing provided from the university and in the
first email exchange students had the opportunity to apply for
housing. I decided to stay at the student house provided by City
University, Cass. It is called Liberty Court and is placed at
Farringdon; ten minutes walk to City University, Cass.
-
What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
We got information about the housing, rooms and the rent and how
we could apply for housing provided by the school.
-
Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Unless you know someone in London you can stay with, I found
Liberty Court very convenient in terms of location and room
standards.
Costs
Rent
240
Pund/Week
Books
Library
Food
See
comment
Transport 25 NOK/per
tur
Other
1000 NOK
Food is much cheaper than compared to the prices in Norway. The
monthly expenses could vary a lot as it is quite normal to eat some
meals in different restaurants with another exchange student.
Expenses related to transport could also vary based on how much
you travel. But I recommend getting a “pay as you go” Oyster travel
card as soon as you arrive in London.
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other
students?
I did not have any language problems with the faculty or other
students.
-
How were the possibilities to experience the country and the
culture?
London is a very cultural city with great opportunities to experience
the country and the culture. I used some of the time during the
weekends to visit museums and other attractions in London.
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 I have gained a lot of useful experience from living and
studying with people from all over the world, something I am sure
will be of great benefit in the future.
- How do you think the exchange experience influences your future
career possibilities?
I have a better understanding of the difference in the working
environment in Norway and the UK and with a greater network it
would be easier for me to reach out and take the “challenge” of
working abroad.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school and its surroundings (give a short summary)
Cass Business School is the business school faculty of City University
London and is among the highest ranked business schools in the
world. The undergraduate school is located near Angel station and
15 minute walk away from the Cass Business School`s
Master/MBA/PhD campus located in Bunhill Row (graduate).
Cass Business School is ranked 2nd in the UK for undergraduate
education in business and management studies in “The Guardians
Good University Guide 2013”.
The school is located in the City part of London. Nearest tube station
is Angel, but Farringdon is also close and offers more connections.
Bus 55 runs 24/7 goes between oxford circus and Shoreditch, the
bus uses about 20 minutes from oxford circus to Clerkenwell, which
is a stop 5 min walk away from the school.
-
Approx. number of students (graduate and undergraduate) and
number of exchange students
Undergraduates: 1300
Postgraduates: 1300
Doctoral students: 100
Exchange students: 100
-
Study structure
The study structure is quite different than compared to BI. There
was more focus on practical coursework and practical
understanding during the exams.
Course registration
- Were you able to register for courses before arrival?
I was not able to register for courses before arrival but information
of all the courses available was easy to find at their web site which I
used to fill out a “pre-course” sheet and learning agreement with
more courses than my “final” courses.
-
If not, when did you register? Any difficulties?
I did register the first day at school the 1st of October.
- When and how long was the period for adding/dropping courses?
During the introduction week we could add and drop courses if we
wanted to.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the
semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special
events/holidays:
Other:
25th September
1st October
13th December
1st - 13th
December
No
Arrival
- Was the administration and faculty well-prepared for your arrival?
The administration was well prepared with all the information we
needed and did also arrange tours of the school and the classes. We
also got backpacks and other things that covered our “basic school
needs”
-
Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the
exchange students?
No, there were not any regular students during the reception
-
Describe the introduction week?
I did not participate, but last years exchange student wrote this:
“The introduction week started with a lot of information and a tour
of the school and the area around the school. We also had the
opportunity to get a quick class or their internet based school
terminal. On the evening of the second day the international office
arranged a reception with food and drinks, which were a great
opportunity to get to know each other.”
The International Office
- Is there an international office?
Yes, the international office was in Drysdale Building 3rd floor, City
University at Northampton Square.
-
As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant
information? In English?
The international office was very helpful and provided all the
information we needed.
Social activities
- How was your relationship with native students?
I spent some time with native students during some coursework.
We had a good relationship. There is a Scandinavian society at Cass
that arranges gatherings once in a while.
-
How was the relationship among the exchange students?
The relationship among the students on exchange was great as most
of us were in the same situations. There was a Facebook page where
everybody registered and gave information about different
activities.
-
Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students
a part of it?
There were many different organizations but none of the exchange
students took part.
Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange
students?
No, but some of them took part the social activities arranged by the
school organization.
-
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style.
The teaching style was quite similar to BI.
-
Language of instruction? Any problems?
No problems.
-
How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the
level at BI?
The level of study is mostly the same as BI. But in addition to the
lectures there were tutorials in the quantitative courses, either once
a week or every second week that are very useful in a practical
point of view.
-
Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
This depends on the course, but most of the courses at Cass have a
more practical approach compared to BI.
-
Did professors use cases, group work or lectures (or a
combination)?
All of the professors use a combination of cases, coursework and
lectures.
-
How is the workload compared to that at BI?
The workload is maybe a bit more compared to that at BI because of
the courseworks, and for great results the teacher expected great
use of time and the students had to show understanding of both
theory and practical use.
-
Describe the relationship between professors and students.
The professors and tutors were very helpful and answered all
questions both orally and online when they had the opportunity.
-
Describe the relationship between the students in the classroom.
I had all of my classes with mix of native and exchange students. The
relationship between the students was friendly.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online
articles, Powerpoint, etc).
In all courses we received lecture notes in advance that contained
lecture slides and tutorial questions, in addition to course
information. All courses had one main book related to the course
that was available at the library.
-
In which language were the course materials?
The course material was in English.
-
How do you estimate the level of the course materials in
comparison to BI?
The level of the course material compared to BI was quite similar in
some courses but in the more quantitative course Cass was a bit
mote difficult.
-
Were materials used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview of
a subject?
This totally depended on the coursework but mostly the materials
used for detailed knowledge of a subject.
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
The exam was based on both the course materials and the lectures.
-
How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
o Final exam (include form: written, oral, home assignment,
presentation, etc.)
o Mid-term exam
o In-class quizzes throughout semester
o Small assignments and/or papers
o Presentations
o Group work
o Class attendance
o Class participation/debates
o Activities outside of the classroom
o Other – if other, describe.
This did vary among different coursework. Mainly a course was
evaluated with one midterm exam or practical coursework and a
final exam, but as exchange student in the autumn term, you will get
an alternative assessment that in most courses consist of an essay of
about 2000-3000 words.
Library and technology
- Do students have easy access to the library and its resources?
Students could use their student card to get access to the library and
its resources. The library had longer opening hours compared to BI!
-
Were computers provided around campus/in the library?
There were many computers provided around the campus, but to
get access you had to be at the library at the time!
-
How is technology used in teaching or to distribute information?
The teachers used PowerPoint and Moodle to distribute
information.
Description of courses
Course code &
name
Example:FIN123
Finance
AF2101 Financial
Accounting
BS3100 Strategy
for Business
IF2201 Monetary
Economics
FR2202 Financial
Econometrics
Master
/
Bachel
or
Bachelo
r
Bachelo
r
Bachelo
r
Bachelo
r
Bachelo
r
Exam form
Prerequisi
tes
Approve Commen
d as
ts
4-hour
written exam
Alternative
Essay
Alternative
Essay
Alternative
Essay
Alternative
Take home
exam
None
Elective
None
Elective
None
Elective
None
Elective
Useful
None
Elective
Useful
Difficult