Student Report
Name of the University: Leeds Beckett University
Exchange semester: Spring 2015
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
We received information about the exchange university and accommodation quite early
through emails and international office at our host university. The website of Leeds Beckett
University had aslo been very helpful regarding the housing, deposit payment etc. Therefore
the preparation before leaving Norway was pretty easy and we did not have many worries.
Travel
We travelled with Scandinavian Airlines to Manchester and took the train from the airport to
Leeds city. The train is approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes. We recommend to book train
tickets in advance, it´s much cheaper.
Housing
We lived at Woodhouse Flats. This accommodation is provided by Leeds Beckett. Their
website provides us with very clear instructions about how to apply, which residence halls to
choose, and how and when to pay deposit and costs. A residence hall could be quite expensive
compared with for example private apartment, but it is an easy option for students who are in
Leeds for only one semester.
Costs
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
NOK 4300
NOK 500
NOK 1600
NOK 200
NOK 2000
Culture and language
We may have had some issues with communication the first days when we arrived because
we had not yet get used to communicate in English. But eventually there were no longer
language issues.
There were a lot of possibilities to experience the country and the culture. You can either take
the bus and train around the UK. Train tickets could be very expensive. Our advice is to get
Railcard (provides you 1/3 discount on tickets), and always buy train tickets in advance. The
major cities in UK such as Leeds or Manchester often have free buses which take you around
the city.
We were very lucky to get to know other Norwegian students that had been in Leeds for more
than 6 months. They showed us good places in Leeds and they also invited us to a lot of
parties. Be open minded, get new friends and they will help you to experience the best sides
of the country.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
Leeds Beckett University has two campuses; one in the centrum of the city, and one located in
Headingley which is about 1 hour walk or 20 minutes with bus from city centre. There is a
bookstore 5 minutes from each campus. The university has over 27,000 students including
3,500 students from around the world.
Study structure
We were having three modules in total. Each module had 1-hour with lecture and 2 hours with
seminar group per week, with some exceptions depending on the timetable. Our “homework”
every week was mostly reading in the core textbook, and prepare the answers to the seminar
questions.
Course registration
We had to fill out the Learning Agreement with the courses we wished for and get it signed
by both the host school and the university. It was possible to make changes of the chosen
modules within the first two weeks of the semester.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
26th January
2th February
30th April
1-18th December
Easter holiday in the
end of March
Other:
Arrival
The first week after arrival was spent to explore the city and to do registration at the
international office. We also spent a lot of time in the mall to buy all the necessary stuff like
bed sheets, kitchen equipments etc.
There were a couple of presentations by different people from the university and the Erasmus
project giving us all the information we needed. Going to these presentations will save you a
lot of time later on when it comes to finding people, places and getting help in general. There
is also a fresher’s week for first year students, so there are a lot of events going on and a lot of
people everywhere.
The International Office
The international office at our school had been very helpful. If we had any questions, we
could just send them an email and they would help us with everything, or we could go directly
to the office. But be prepared to stand in line for at least 20 minutes during the first couple of
weeks.
Social activities
The classes are small, with people who have been going to uni together for two years already.
Between the classes we had 5-10 minutes to move to another class in another building.
Because of this, it was hard to make friends with the people from your class. We did however
get many friends at our accommodation where we lived. We shared flats with people from all
around the world. Woodhouse flats, our accomodation, are located close to the school (10
minutes walk) and the city centre and are filled with both international students and native
students, which result in a lot of flat parties and other activities, which are great for meeting
new people.
It’s a large student union with many native students as members and also international
students. Some of the international students joined different sports clubs etc.
Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
There are many events and activities during the first couple of weeks. There are about 2-3
events a month the rest of the semester. Almost every Friday there was an event at the student
bar close to the school.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
It was one lecture and one seminar for each module every week. The lecture lasts for 1 hours,
and the seminars are 2-3 hours. The lectures are more theoretical orientated and formal, and
the seminars are more focused on the practical bit. The major different between the lecturers
and the seminars is that students are supposed to discuss in the seminars and be quiet in the
lectures. It was possible to ask questions in the lecture as well, but it is in the seminar the
discussion happens. In the seminars the students are working together in groups and soulving
several tasks.
The level is easier compared to BI, and the workload is higher at BI. In Leeds we had less
exames and more essay writing.
Course materials
Literature books, powerpoints and online journals.
Exams
We only had one written exam that lasted for 2 hours. The rest were assigments which must
be submitted online. Each module has usually two assigments each semester. The assignments
are at least 2000 or 3000 words and are given in the beginning or during the semester.
Library and technology
The library of Leed Beckett University is open 24 hours a day and have very helpful staff. We
received a lot of information at the beginning of the semester how to use the library. Is was
pretty easy! You will have no trouble finding an available computer, as there are
2,500 computer workstations around the two campuses.
How is technology used in teaching or to distribute information?
We noticed that they mostly used computer and projector in lecture and seminar. All
information is distributed electronically.
Description of courses
Course code & name
Quantitative methods
of business
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
2-hours
exam
None
Bachelor
2x Individual
assignment.
2000+2000
words
None
Bachelor
Individual
assignment
3000 words.
Devided into
two different
assignments.
None
Global business
Operation and supply
chain management
Approved
as
Comments
We had one lecturer
and a different
teacher in the
seminar, and that
was really good
Our seminar teacher
in this modul was not
as good as the
teachers in the other
two modules.
Lead by a really
good lecturer.
On a final note
We had an amazing semester in Leeds, from both an academic and a social point of view. We
really liked the school, the lecturers and the people in Leeds. We have travelled around
England and really liked the culture as well. We would recommend everyone to take one
semester in the UK. You will not regret it!