Student Report Name of the University: Reykjavik University Exchange semester: Fall 2012 I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Before leaving Norway Before we left from Norway we picked out our courses and after they got approved we received information on how we could log in to the schools intranet. On the intranet you can find information about your courses and you can also access your e-mail to contact the international office. The international office was of great help to us and they are really trying to make the best out of your exchange semester. Reykjavik University (RU) has a “Buddy” program and we received information about our buddy before we left from Norway. Our buddies added us on Facebook and it’s a great way to get information about the school and living in Iceland. Travel After we arrived at the airport we took the airport bus that brought us to the main bus station (BSI) in Reykjavik. From here you can either take a bus or a taxi to your next destination. Housing Since RU does not have any student accommodation they could not offer us any apartments, but they did offer their support in helping us getting accommodation. RU has agreements with several guesthouses in Reykjavik that accommodate students in the exchange period. The guesthouses are filled with exchange students and it is great to live with some other students. The international office is very helpful for the students that have difficulties finding an apartment. They will assist you on those matters and everyone got apartments. Costs The prices will of course vary and a lot of the students have the books as PDFs, so it is possible to not buy books. Rent Books Food Transport Other 3000 3000-5000 2000 300 Culture and language The Icelandic people speak English very well and we did not experience any difficulties speaking English and being understood. The Icelandic culture is very similar to Norwegian and it went smoothly for us all when we were adapting to the new culture. Cultural and social effects from the exchange experience The exchange period has made us all grow as persons, and we only feel that we have gained a lot from this experience. II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL Please describe: The school is located on the coast of Reykjavik and is easy accessible by bus or by walking. Most of the Icelandic students have cars so the bus system in Reykjavik is not the best but it is no problem getting to school and classes. Course registration We registered for our courses before we left from Norway and we did not experience any troubles when we wanted to change some of our courses. The International office was of great value for us as exchange students and they assisted us in all ways they could. Academic calendar Arrival date: First day of the semester: Last day of classes: Examination period: Any special events/holidays: Other: 14th of August 20th of August 30th of November 1st-14th of December Arrival The introduction week was very well prepared from the schools side and we got to see a lot of Reykjavik and the area around. They gave us a lot of information about living in Iceland and some basic survival phrases. The introduction week bonded us in so many ways and we were all grateful for the effort that was put into this week. The International Office The international office always did their best to make sure we had a good time and you can talk to them about all your concerns. Promoting BI and Norway RU had an international day and there we promoted Norway and BI. All of the other exchange students did the same for their schools and we all served food for the Icelandic students. The international day was fun and we got a lot of questions from the Icelandic students. Social activities The relationship between the exchange students were great and we quickly bonded in groups but the great thing about being on exchange is that everyone seeks new friends so you get new friends throughout the semester. The school also offer some activities during the semester and they also arrange trips for the exchange students during the semester. In all they offered 4 big trips where they took us around on Iceland. III. ACADEMICS In the classroom The teaching style is similar to the Norwegian style and the teachers use Powerpoints when presenting their material to the students. The courses that we took were in English and the books were also in English. In the course that is taught in English, the teachers demand that everyone asks their questions in English as well. The level of the courses is similar as at BI. Exams In RU they give you assignments that counts on your final grade during the semester so your final exam could be a multiple choice test that would count 30% of your final grade. In this way the students have more opportunities to show what they know to the teacher. The levels of the exams are similar to BI. The teachers are also very open and they made themselves accessible for the students during the exams. We all liked this way of examination. Library and technology The library is modern and new, and you can access computers on school. The school uses email to contact their students so make sure you check your e-mail often to be up-to-date. Description of courses Course name Master/ Bachelor Bachelor Exam form Prerequisites Approved as Comments Assignments and a 2 hour written exam. None Elective Business International Business Bachelor Assignments and a 2-hour multiplechoice test. None Elective Business User Centred Software Development Service Management Master Assignments and a 2-hour exam. Yes Mandatory Computer Science Bachelor Assignments and a 48-hour home exam. None Mandatory Business Risk Management Bachelor Assignments and a 3-hour exam. None Elective Business Developing and Retaining Human Capital International Employment Law Master Group presentation, individual assignment Yes Elective Business Master Yes Elective Business Managing Global Workforce Master Individual participation, team presentation, group project, final exam. Class participation and preparedness, in-class cases and Exercises, final individual Report Yes Elective Business Managing Human Resources Master Individual case analyses, team case presentation, team project, individual participation Yes Elective Business Leadership