Student Report
Name of the University: University of Strathclyde
Exchange semester: Fall 2015, Bachelor
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
I received information through BI, and especially the International Office. There will be
several meetings before you go. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact
International Office as they will help with everything. You do not need a VISA to study in the
UK. I travelled from Gardermoen to Edinburgh Airport, and then hopped on a Citylink bus to
Glasgow that cost about 11 GBP.
Housing
I applied for accommodation on campus, but unfortunately they do not prioritize exchange
students as we are only here for a semester. I therefore contacted the school, which
recommended a student accommodation called Fresh Student Living. They have different
accommodations throughout the UK, but the closest for us was in Paisley. The rent deposit
was 150 GBP, and the total rent for the semester was 1800 GBP (29th of August-15th of
January), which was paid upfront in August. The rooms had good standard, and I shared
kitchen with 8 other people from different countries. About 200 students live here, and
laundry cost 2,60 GBP per wash.
Costs (monthly)
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
NOK 5200
NOK 0
NOK 4000
NOK 1500
NOK 4000
Culture and language
There were no language problems as they all speak English here, however, the Scottish accent
can be quite tricky sometimes. If you want to travel and see the country while you are here, I
would highly recommend ISUK tours (International Students UK). They provide affordable
trips of high quality. Avoid companies like VIVA Glasgow as they cancelled all of our trips.
Otherwise, you should hop on a tourguide bus for 12 GBP which shows you the biggest
attractions in Glasgow.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
University of Strathclyde was founded in 1796, and hosts over 15.000 students, whereas 1000
are international. There are 60 000 students in Glasgow in total. It is located about 10-15
minutes from Glasgow Central (train station). It consists of many different buildings, so I
would be quick to grab a map. There is also the UNION building, with lots of different events
every single day, but do not buy the Gold Card (60 GBP VIP card to all the events) as it
would only pay off if you are there for more than one semester.
Course registration:
You will receive many e-mails from the school regarding this, as you chose classes at the
same time as you apply to go to the school. You can change your classes until 15th of October.
Academic calendar:
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
10.09.2015
21.09.2015
10.12.2015
throughout
28/9, and Guy Fawkes
Day
Arrival:
It started with an introduction from The International Office at Strathclyde and Erasmus.
Every Wednesday there is a party with other international students through Erasmus.
The International Office:
The international Office at BI was very helpful, and helped me with e.g. the LA-form and
such. At Strathclyde however, you are more on your own and will probably get sent different
places before you find who you are looking for.
Promoting BI and Norway:
BI is quite modern and has a technological advantage compared to Strathclyde, so we went
about and told e.g. our classmates about our school (building, concerts e.g.)
Social activities:
The native students in your class might be a bit younger than you, and they are used to having
exchange students in their class so they are very welcoming. You should join the Erasmus
group, and every Friday there is a beernight with Norwegian students through Ansa. Try and
find them on Facebook searching “Ansa Glasgow”.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
The classes that I chose had a lot of group projects. You do not have one final exam in
January, but different projects, assignments and multiple choice questionnaires throughout the
semester. I would say the workload compared to BI is a bit heavier, as there are so many
deadlines to keep up with.
Course materials:
In my classes I did not have to buy any books, because they were mostly online. Other classes
only used articles or even power point slides as class materials.
Library and technology:
The library is quite old and a bit outdated. You use your student card to both entry and leave
the building. There are stationary computers on each floor, in addition to group areas and
silent areas. You will have to ask for a printercard in the reception, and use different
computers for printing and scanning.
Description of courses:
Course
Exam form
HR207 Work
4 different group
Psychology
projects, one
multiple-choice
questionnaire and
an individual
assignment.
MS210 Analysing
and Improving
Operations
One group project
and one individual
assignment.
Z1314
Entrepreneurial
Capital
One individual
assignment, two
multiple-choice
questionnaires, two
group projects.
Participation
Lecture every week
(2 hrs)
Tutorial every
other week
(mandatory)
Workshop every
other week
Lecture every week
(2 hrs)
Tutorial about
every other week
Lecture every
week, sometimes
twice a week.
Tutorial about
every other week.
Books
Online book +
articles
Articles + power
point slides
No book, but
articles and power
point slides.
I will sum up the exchange experience by saying that I don’t regret it even for a little bit. This
is an opportunity that everyone should take advantage of. Sure, I have learnt a lot in class, but
most importantly I have gotten to know a lot of people from different cultures and it is an
experience I will always have with me. I believe that it will weigh positively for my CV that I
dared to take this chance and experience something new.