Student Report
Name of the University: University College Dublin
Exchange semester: Fall 2014
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
After being accepted to UCD we frequently got emails from both the school and from BI with
information on our semester abroad. All emails referring to things we had to do in terms of
choice of subjects, housing and the arrival process was very detailed and easy to understand.
None of us had any troubles with either choice of subjects, get housing or upon arrival at
UCD.
Before leaving Norway we had to complete an information course online where there were a
few informational videos with a quiz after that we had to do in order to complete the
registration process.
You do not need a visa for studying in Ireland
Travel
Both Norwegian and SAS have direct flights from Oslo to Dublin. Nevertheless, there is no
problem in getting to Dublin from other cities in Norway. SAS has great student discounts on
their flights to Dublin. They are around 600 NOK from Norway to Dublin. We flew in from
Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo to get there. If you are not flying from Oslo, you will have to
change flights in either Oslo or Copenhagen.
Housing
UCD has in total eight residence halls. We have lived in Glenomena, and have been very
happy with our choice. The residence is close to the Quinn School of business, the bus stop,
Centra groceries and every room has an on-suite bathroom. The general standard on all the
residences is fairly high and if anything is broken they will come and fix it as soon as
possible.
Costs
Rent
30.000 NOK in total
Books
1.000 NOK in total
Food
2.000 NOK per month
Transport 180 NOK per month
Other
? NOK
Culture and language
In the beginning of the semester, we all had a hard time understanding the Irish accent. It was
especially hard to follow the lecturers, because they speak very fast. However, this is
something we got used to very quickly and it was no problem for the rest of the semester.
Most Irish students from around the Dublin area are very easy to understand, even though
they speak very fast. But there are students from other cities in Ireland who are very difficult
to understand because of their broad accents. Sometimes the Irish students from Dublin had to
translate what they were saying to us.
The public transport in Ireland was very good. If you want to go and visit any of their
numerous attractions, there are multiple travel agencies that have frequent trips around the
country. In addition, the International Student Society (ISS) and the Erasmus Student
Network (ESN), have different trips throughout the semester as well. We got to go on two
trips with the Lacrosse team, so joining different sports can be a good opportunity to get to
know both people and see the country.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
UCD is the largest and most international university in Ireland with over 25,000 students. The
campus is huge, consisting of different student accommodations, cafeterias, student centre,
bookshop, school bar, cinema, gym, swimming pool, and a lot of green fields for different
types of sports. We all attended Quinn School of Business, which is a relatively new building
compared to many of the others buildings.
The university is located on the south side of Dublin and the bus takes 20-40 minutes
depending on traffic and where in the city you are going. The bus leaves on a regularly basis
from inside the campus, making it really easy to get in to the city centre.
Course registration
All the information we needed about the registration process was provided through mail from
the school in advance. We applied for the modules online during the summer, and we had no
problems getting the modules we wanted. If we wanted to add or drop some modules, we had
the opportunity to do changes until 3 weeks into the semester.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
30th August & 1th September
First day of the semester:
8th September
Last day of classes:
27th November
Examination period:
8th December to 19th December
Any special events/holidays: Bank holiday on Monday 3rd November
Other:
Arrival
During the introduction week there was something going on constantly. We got a booklet
with tons of information about what would go on during the two first weeks as well as the
“reslife” events throughout the semester.
We were met at the airport by some UCD students, and followed to the bus that would take us
to UCD. It was easy to get to the registration tent to get our UCard and other information.
Once in the apartment everything you had to do was to get to know your roommates and
campus by joining some of the countless events going on around campus.
The International Office
We have been super impressed with the school throughout the semester, but especially during
the introduction week. Everything was so easy and available. If you needed any information
there were students wearing blue t-shirt’s everywhere that were there just for your comfort
and help. As the Irish are so helpful and nice, asking for help was no problem at all.
Promoting BI and Norway
All three of us recommended exchange to BI Norwegian Business School to everyone we got
to know during our semester in Dublin, Ireland. We were also engaged in different societies at
school, where we were well known as the “Norwegian girls”.
Social activities
Our relationships with Irish native students were very good. We were so happy that we were
so lucky as to get to know some Irish students as well as other foreign students. Irish people
in general are extremely friendly and very easy to get in touch with. We have a couple of
examples for you:
Firstly, we met two Irish boys and an Irish girl our second day on campus, who all invited us
to the outdoor cinema on campus and took us on a night out in Dublin city the same day. They
were so nice to us, and we kept in touch with them for the rest of the semester. The
orientation week is probably the easiest week to get to know other students. There are so
many events and activities going on that week, and that is when you really should go out and
get to know people.
Second, you will definitely get to know a lot of Irish students who attend the same class as
you. Almost all the courses at UCD Quinn School of Business contain group project work.
This is one of the best ways to get to know both Irish and other foreign students.
Third, we joined different societies in the beginning of the semester. We decided to try out a
sport we never had played before, called Lacrosse. This was a great way to get to know Irish
and other foreign students. Lacrosse consists of a girls and a boys team. We got to know
almost every one of the players through several activities, parties, movie/pizza nights,
lacrosse practice, trips around Ireland and lacrosse matches.
Finally, one of us joined Kite surfing. This became a great opportunity to see some other
places of Dublin, and to meet new people. There were weekly kiting sessions, where we met
new people every week, mostly friendly Irish students. There is usually one trip to the south
of Ireland each semester.
All in all, Irish students are very kind and there is no problem to get to know them. The Irish
students seemed to have no problem in getting to know exchange students even though we
only were there for one semester. Everyone felt as a part of the Irish community, regardless of
where you came from. Do not be afraid of reaching out to people to get to know them.
There are countless of student organisations and activities offered at the school. You will
definitely benefit from engaging in various student societies, and best of all, they are very
easy to join. They offer all kinds of sport societies, for example lacrosse, football, tennis, kite
surfing, karate and other fun sports. They also offer societies like film, acting/directing,
entrepreneur society, arts, world aid, and so on. They offer an endless amount of societies,
and if you want to, you can even start your own.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
The teaching style depends on the course, however, the lectures here are very different than
the ones we are used to in Norway. Every lecturer expects participation and attendance in
class. In fact in many modules, attendance and participation is a substantial part of your grade.
Some lectures take place in large auditoriums as we are used to at BI, but most subjects we
had was in smaller classrooms. Many of the courses had a no-laptop policy which means we
had to write all our notes on paper. Considering a laptop often is more of a distraction in the
classroom, it was easier to actually pay attention to the lecturer.
Course materials
There was a lot of variation in the different courses. Some courses used books, while others
only had articles and Power Point that were posted on blackboard. The level was relatively
similar to the level we are used to at BI, so we had no trouble getting through the materials.
Exams
The exams are mainly based on both the course material and the lectures. Some of the
teachers gave us good advice on what we should prepare the most on for the exam and past
exam papers are also available online. They seem to be quite similar each year.
We had several different assessments, presentations, projects and midterms, so your total
grade is not just based on the final exam. Our exams counted from 50% to 80% of our final
grade. The exams are only 2 hours and you need 40% to pass.
Library and technology
The library is a great place to find any information you need for group projects and article
reviews. The library is three stories, and huge compared to the library at BI Bergen. You will
find any books, journals or databases that you are looking for. The library is also a great place
to study for your exams. The study areas in the library are very similar to the study areas at BI
Bergen and Oslo. Separate areas for silent study, and for open study.
There are computers and other types of technologies like printers, all around campus and all
students have access to them. There is no problem with printing or scanning and you just have
to use your UCard to pay for it. It is very similar to the way we do it at BI.
Description of courses
Course code &
name
Master/
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
Approved
as
Comments
BMGT30080Service Learning
Bachelor
20% Engagement letter
2x5% Presentations
40% Finale report
10% Final presentation
20% Individual reflection
None
Elective
Practical
HRM20030People at work
Bachelor
10% Tutorial attendance
20% Essay
70% Final Exam
None
Demanded
Theoretical
BMGT20100 Developing Future
Leaders
Bachelor
20%Participation in class
80% Final Exam
None
Elective
BMGT20050-
Bachelor
20% Class participation and
None
Elective
Cross-Cultural
Management
homework
30% Group project
50% Final Exam
MIS30020E-business Solutions
Bachelor
2x5% Group presentations
10% Class test
30% Group project
50% Final Exam
None
Elective
MKT30070Services Marketing
Bachelor
5% Presentation
25% Group assignment
70% Final Exam
None
Elective
MKT30060Strategic Market
Management
Bachelor
20% Written report
20% Presentation
60% Final Exam
None
Demanded
BMGT30350Organisational
Knowledge,
Creativity and
Innovation
Bachelor
15% Continues assessment
15% Reflective journal
20% Article review
20% Presentation
20% Written report
10%Self and peer assessment
None
Elective
Hard to keep
up with
deadlines
BMGT30080 Service Learning
This was a very different module. Everything was practical. We were working with a charity
to help them raise money. The whole grade was based in total on two presentations, two small
engagement letters on progression, a final report on the assignment and a final presentation.
Attendance was taken in every class, but had no say on our grade. I got put in a group of six
people where we were both international and Irish students. It was a very social class where
we met outside of class both at events for the foundation and group meetings. What you end
up doing is up to your group and the charity to decide. Overall this was a fun module that I’m
very glad I ended up taking. I would recommend it to everyone.
HRM20030 People at Work
This is a module that is required for second year students, so you will not find many
international students, or students your own age. The subject deals with the working situation
mostly in Europe and the EU. There were a few different lecturers that are renowned in their
field. They were all very interesting to listen to, but I would recommend sitting up front as
they do not use microphones during lectures here in Ireland. No attendance was taken, but in
addition to the weekly lectures, you will have four tutorials where you discuss more closely
information gotten in class. The attendance is taken in the tutorials, and account for 10% of
your grade. A two-hour exam and an essay also count on your total grade, where the exam
counts for most of the grade.
BMGT20100 Developing Future Leaders
This course is based on an ethical understanding of how we can develop as leaders. You will
gain an in-sight into some intellectual framework, values and attitudes that will prepare you
for future leadership by beginning a process of building a foundation for your leadership. The
focus in class is highly interactive so the students are asked questions based on assigned
readings. Attendance and participation is part of your grade, so you should always come
prepared for class.
BMGT20050 Cross-Cultural Management
This course focuses on the challenge and opportunities associated with organizational
management and business strategy in the global environment. Learning about other cultures
makes you reflect more on your own culture and values, and help you prepare for future
challenges of an international business career. Students are expected to engage in class
discussion and we all had to have name cards. In addition to this, we also had a group project,
one presentation and a final exam. The topics are interesting and we would recommend this
course if you wish to work in an international company in the future.
MIS30020 E-Business Solutions
This course aims to develop a deeper understanding of the different technologies that are used
in electronic business and their application for commercial benefit. It especially looks at
computer networks and the Internet. We did not have to buy a book for this course, as all the
relevant reading is available electronic. We had a group project where we had to come up
with a business idea and make a survey, business plan and website for it. Overall it was a
interesting course that was fun to work with.
BMGT30350 Organisational Knowledge, Creativity and Innovation
This course explores the nature and management of knowledge, creativity and innovation
within contemporary organizations. Personal development is an important outcome of this
course. The course had continuous assessments and we were required to attend and participate
in each class. The workload was quite heavy compared to the other courses and it was
sometimes hard to keep up with all the deadlines. We would not recommend this course as it
was stressful and it requires a lot of you and your time, which meant less time to focus on the
other courses.
MKT30070 Services Marketing
This course is based on how Services Marketing is designed to provide students with a firm
grounding in the application of marketing management techniques to all aspects of services. It
examines service characteristics and classifications, theoretical models of service, relationship
marketing, interactive marketing, customer care, the services marketing mix, understanding
service quality, organising for service and internal marketing. Overall, the course outlines the
unique challenges of managing services and successful strategies to address these. Both
attendance and participation is 5% of the final grade. Participation consists of being involved
in class discussions and a group presentation. We also had a group project in the course,
which is 25% of the final grade and then a final two-hour exam that accounts for 70% of the
total grade.
MKT30060 Strategic Market Management
This course is based on the strategic challenges of an organisation created by the dynamic
nature of markets. It is all about how you cope with a dynamic market and how it requires
customer-driven strategies and creativity. The lectures consisted of the lecture talking from
PowerPoint as we do at BI and of case studies that we had to read before every class. The
attendance was taken every class, but participation was not a part of our grade. We had one
group presentation and a group project during the semester. The course group project and the
company presentation account for 40% of the total marks for the course and the two-hour
final exam accounts the remaining 60%.
On a final note, how will you sum up the exchange experience?
We have had a great semester in Ireland and would highly recommend UCD as it is a great
university. We have many wonderful memories from the time we spent in Ireland and all the
new friends we made from all over the world. It has been a benefit for us both academically
and personally and we would encourage everyone to take the opportunity. Being abroad
changes who you are and how you perceive others and especially how you view life.
(We would like to use some of these comments as testemonials in future exchange brochures.
Please indicate here whether we can use your comments)
You can use all our comments if you wish to do so.
Sincerely
Birgitte Jeeves Hammer, Cecilie Birkeland Sondresen og Maria Bruvik Sæther