GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Name of the University: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Exchange semester: Fall 2012
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
- When and how did you receive information from the exchange university?
We got all the information around May.
- Any difficulties in preparing (application, housing, contact, courses, etc)?
M: Not at all. All information was given by BI and UW. Application was done
through BI as usual. We got two alternatives for housing. Either dorms provided by
the university or Saxony, which was an apartment complex mainly for international
students but there were also a lot of American freshmen living there. The dorms
provided by the university is also mixed with international and Americans.
We got emails from the school abroad about enrolling into classes already in May. All
information needed was provided in the information packet sent from the school. Be
careful to enrol in class early because classes get full quickly.
K: We received information pretty early in the spring semester. I remember I didn’t
lack any information when the summer came, and that made everything else much
easier.
I decided early not to use the international school housing, since I wanted to
experience living with people from the US. I really recommend doing it this way, but
you have to be prepared for a couple of months of searching. It was hard to find a
place for just one semester, but in the end I found a BIG house with two American
girls. This was a little bit outside of downtown, but nothing in Madison is really far
away. I had some other international friends who went to Madison without a place to
live, but they didn’t spend much time searching before they found a place. There are
extremely many places to live, but always easier to make a deal in person.
I enrolled in all my courses in May. Some of the courses have pre-req, which means
that you have had to have another course at UW before taking that one. Often you can
send an email to the international office, referring to a similar course taken at BI.
They’ll fix it for you. Going off that, the international office is amazing, and very
helpful.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
- How did you apply for your visa?
M: After we got the information that we were accepted (around May) we started to
apply for the Visa. We had to book all the appointments ourselves on the website of
the US embassy. Be careful to book the appointment as soon as you know you are
accepted, it tends to be a long waiting list for the “interview round”. The interview
round for the visa is very quick; don’t be fooled by the formal and seriousness from
the US embassy website. The interview takes 30 seconds, and takes place at the
counter when we pay for the visa. The questions they ask were: “Are you looking
forward to your stay in the U.S” and “Why did you choose the U.S as your
destination”
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
-
-
K: My appointment was 11, but I stood in line from 8, and was done by 9. You can’t
bring a big purse or backpack. Be sure to have everything you need, because they are
not very lenient when it comes to lost/forgotten papers.
What problems, if any, did you encounter?
No problems at all. There were just many papers we need to bring to the interview. - -o Financial statement that we have $7500 in the bank that UW requires for all
their students. This can be a financial statement of your bank or one of your
parents.
o MER?
How much did the visa cost?
The Visa cost around 1500 NOK
Travel
- How did you travel to your destination? Any problems?
M: Booked my ticket through Kilroy, there were some problems. On the trip to the US
I flew with Air France and Delta. At arrival the luggage was lost. No compensation
was given, and the luggage was returned 5 days later, without any explanation about
how they lost it.
On the way back to Norway 23th December when I arrived to the Madison Airport, I
was informed that due to computer problems, my ticket from Madison to Minneapolis
has not gone through the system. I had to take a 3 hour drive to Milwaukee and then
take the plane to Minneapolis. So the delay was about 6 hours. NEVER fly with
DELTA or Air France, not good experiences.
K: It was quite easy to get tickets; you should just buy them as early as possible.
Especially when going home, since the exams can make the return date very close to
Christmas. Going to Madison I flew with Iceland Air, first to Iceland, then to
Minnesota. Minnesota is not the closest place to fly to, but I did it seeing that I stayed
there for a week before going to Madison. From Minnesota I took the bus. It was easy,
and took 5 hours.
I left Madison December 22nd. I took the bus to Chicago (2-3 hours bus trip) and from
there I flew to Munich, then Oslo. The trip went perfectly.
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university, or did you have to find your own housing?
Housing was provided in the information package as mentioned earlier. Minh choose
to accept the offer at Saxony Apartments, while Kaja decided to find housing on her
own. Saxony is not run by the university, but it has a partnership with the school that
provides many of the students housing.
- What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
No support was needed really. We got 2 alternatives for housing that guaranteed us
housing for the semester, be careful to turn it down, because Saxony gets filled really
fast. Kaja got help from UW to find private housing
- Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Unfortunately Saxony will be renovating next semester (spring 2012). After this they
will no longer offer one semester housing. We do not know if UW will find another
partnership with an apartment complex that offer one semester rent.
Costs
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
-
Approximately how much per month did you spend on rent, books, food,
transportation, and other personal expenses?
Minh
NOK
Rent
NOK
Books
NOK
Food
*Transport NOK
NOK
Other
3840
2600
2000
0
1300
Kaja
NOK 4000
Rent
NOK 2000
Books
NOK 3000
Food
0
*Transport NOK
NOK 2500
Other
*Free busses
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
No language problems, everyone speak English.
- How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
M: There are many happenings throughout the semester in Madison. The Farmers
market every Sunday is a good way to experience the fresh fruits and vegetables in
Madison. Homecoming is a parade to welcome all the former alumni, where all the
student organisations at the school build different floats and walk down the main street
(State Street) of the city center. Of course there is also the UW Badger football games
that is a must do in Madison. Football is huge in Madison. Every other week there is a
home game at Camp Randal which holds approximately 80.000 people. Every seat at
the home game is filled up. Be sure to get students tickets, it is an experience you will
never forget.
K: The American people are so easy to get to know. They love meeting new people,
and just try to put yourself out there, and you can end up experiencing many cultural
happenings. I think the biggest thing for me was college football. Camp Randall seats
80 000 people, and it’s always full. Given that the school has 40 000 students, this tells
you that a lot of people from outside the school is just as interested in college sport.
Amazing experience! It’s also easy to travel to the nearest big cities like Milwaukee,
Minnesota and Chicago.
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?
M: You certainty get a new view on Americans. The stereotype we know from
Norway is not true, except for the ones we have on sorority girls and frat boys, those
are all true. But Americans in general are very polite and welcoming people. They are
very intrigue when finding out that you are on exchange. They love to know about our
home country. It is very easy to get to know people, either at school or just a night out
on town.
K: It just opens your mind to other cultures, and a new way of living. Even though the
US and Norway is quite similar, you still find differences in everyday life, studying
and other aspects. I will definitely take with me my experiences when now writing my
thesis, applying for jobs and just in regards to interacting with other cultures.
-
How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
M: It certainty open our eyes when it comes to other cultures. UW Madison has a high
percentage of exchange students, so you encounter a lot of interactions with African,
Asian, Oceanic or European culture. This of course gives us information about other
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
cultures. Many of the international students here are hard workers. They set the bar
very high when it comes to academic and future career possibilities.
K: I mean, it is becoming more and more important to have experienced studying in
another country when applying for a job. Both the academics and the social parts of
the exchange period give you new perspective that can be a gain for the company you
end up in. Also, the US is a great trading and business nation.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school and its surroundings
M: The campus of UW is huge! The campus is often rank in the top 10 of the national
campus rankings. The business school (Madison Business School – Grainer Hall)
itself is also very highly ranked, and is one of the top ranking schools in the US. UW
Madison is considered as a public Ivy League school. There are many libraries all
around campus, especially the College Library is a good place to study, with a great
view of Lake Mendota.
K: It’s so big. Amazing buildings and surroundings. The business part of the campus
is very modern and clean, and offers all you need in your student everyday life.
-
-
-
Current faculty divisions and special areas
Current faculty: 2,054
Special areas: Business and engineering
Approx. number of students (graduate and undergraduate) and number of exchange
students
Postgraduates: 9,358
Undergraduates: 28,897
Exchange: 1,500
Study structure
Different from Norway. The level is the same as at BI, but the workload is spread out
throughout the semester. There are hand in’s every week, but don’t worry, the average
score on these assignments are very high. The assignments are not particular hard, but
it is a good way to use the theory we learn in practise.
Midterms in some courses, while class participation varies from class to class.
Course registration
- Were you able to register for courses before arrival?
Yes, through “student center” at wisc.edu site
- If not, when did you register? Any difficulties?
Most difficulties were actually at BI. They spend a long time before approving the
classes. It may be smart to go to the international office in person to ask. UW reply all
our emails in 1-2 days.
- When and how long was the period for adding/dropping courses?
You can add and drop courses until 17th September.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
23th August
2. September
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
15. December
17.-22. December
Thanksgiving
Arrival
- Was the administration and faculty well-prepared for your arrival?
Neither. There were no needs for administration or faculty upon our arrival. There is a
buddy programme through BI and UW where we could get in touch with one
American student how has been on exchange in Norway from UW. We got in touch
with our buddies during the summer, and they would help us with whatever we needed
during our arrivals (such as meeting us at the airport etc.)
- Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
Yes, there were many happenings during the first week. There was the orientation day
for international students. During this day we got information about the school,
courses and important information about obtaining our Visas etc. Later in the week
there were many social events with different student organizations we could sign up
and participate.
The International Office
- Is there an international office?
Yes, ISS – International Student Service. They helped us with anything we needed.
- As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information? In
English?
All questions were answered whenever we needed
Promoting BI and Norway
- What kind of activities were you involved in promoting exchange to Norway at your
exchange university?
No activities were required or requested
Social activities
- How was your relationship with native students?
M: Very good. Even though there are a lot of international students at Saxony, there
are many Americans living there. I had a tight group of friends mainly Europeans, but
since we all study different things, more and more people got introduced to the group.
Among them were many Americans. Every game week we had a place to go tailgating
(Pre-game party for the football game). We also been to a couple of sorority and frat
parties, but it was too wild after a couple of times. It’s exactly what you see in
American movies… (Just YouTube Asher Roth (Who actually played a gig in
Madison ) – I love college…)
Americans are really easy to get to know. Just be sure to join many of the happenings
that ISS arrange during orientation week, you will get to know many people.
I was lucky to get a buddy (fadder) through BI. She is from Wisconsin and attended BI
the year before me. So be sure to accept the buddy programme proposal when BI ask
you!
-
Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students a part of it?
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
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M: There are hundreds of organizations to take part of. I was only part of the Soccer
program which plays 2-3 times a week. I don’t know how much time you’ll be
spending on organizations, but since I was in Madison for such a short time, I did not
want to spend too much time on outside school activities. But if you think have time,
join an organization! There’s no downside.
Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
Yes there are. Just “like” the ISS Facebook site and you’ll be updated. There are
things happening EVERYDAY.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style.
Very similar to BI. A good mix of teacher talking, discussions and student groups.
- Language of instruction? Any problems?
Everyone speak English
- How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
M: There is a lot of hand-ins in every course I choose. But don’t worry the hand-ins
are quite easy. It also takes a lot to get a lower grade than an B, since B is the average
grade of most courses.
K: There is more to do during the semester, which means that the exams are smaller. I
didn’t have any difficulties with the academics.
- Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
Mixed of both
- Did professors use cases, group work or lectures (or a combination)?
All the above
- How is the workload compared to that at BI?
More to do throughout the semester, so exams count for 15-30% of the final grade.
Official exam period are just one week, but there are usually courses that have exam a
week earlier. These exams are only 1 hour 15 mins. Long, compared to two hours
during the exam period.
- Describe the relationship between professors and students.
M: All my professors were excellent. As soon as they find out that you are an
exchange student, they ask you tons of questions about your home country, how do
you like it here etc. They were very interested in how I was doing and exchanged
mails throughout the semester. I was very happy with all my professors
K: The professors are open to helping, and having a talk. They seem very invested in
their students.
- Describe the relationship between the students in the classroom.
M: It was ok. Some classes are smaller than others, so of course it was easier to get to
know people in class. However since every lecture are 1hour 15 minute each time (two
times a week), at least the courses I had, and no breaks it may be hard to get to know
people. People tend to just come 5 min before class, and then leave once the lecture is
over.
K: Open and easy. I got the impression that everyone felt safe enough to raise their
hand.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint, etc).
In one of our courses I only had articles, in others both articles and books.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
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In which language were the course materials?
English
- How do you estimate the level of the course materials in comparison to BI?
K: I was surprised because the books are actually a little bit more expensive than in
Norway. Wait until you buy all the books, because some of them we would never have
needed.
-
Were materials used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview of a subject?
Both
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
Both. We got very detailed information in regards to exactly what we could get on the
exams.
- 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.
Everything except for activities outside the classroom, class attendance and quizzes.
Library and technology
- Do students have easy access to the library and its resources?
M: Yes, Grainger Hall library is open to late at night, but closing earlier on Saturday
and Sundays. College library which is just one of the libraries on campus is opened all
day and night. There were many libraries around campus, each about 200 meters
between another (not even kidding)
K: Yes, you have access to the library from 07.30 to late at night
- Were computers provided around campus/in the library?
Yes, just Macs. You even have a couple of Macs at the SERF Center (Gym).
- How is technology used in teaching or to distribute information?
You get emails from the school. Two of our courses had online presence where we
could download different documents.
Description of courses
Please list below all the courses you took while on exchange, including as many details as
possible. Your comments are extremely useful for BI and for future exchange students,
include information on the level of difficulty, relevance to your studies, if the course was
practical/ theoretical, any enrolment issues, etc.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Course code
& name
FIN 410 Bank
Management
M
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam
form
2 hour
multiple
choice
Prerequisit
es
None
Approved as
Comments
Elective
3 multiple choice exams
throughout the year. Very
interesting course about the
bank system in the US. May
not be very relevant in
Norway, but a great
professor
Easy class, but be careful the
first quiz is harder than the
two remaining The biggest
class (130 people – very
popular class)
MHR773
Seminar arts
administration
K
MRK735
Brand strategy
M&K
Master
Presenta
tion
None
Elective
Master
1 hour
and 15
min
short
answers
Marketing
Elective
M:
1 presentation and 1 hand-in
Different class. Very socially
oriented and a lot about
American culture and brands.
The professor was very
impressing
MHR705
Human
resource
management
M&K
MHR611
Personal
staffing and
evaluation
M&K
Master
Master
1 hour
and 15
min
multiple
choice/s
hort
answers
2 hour
written
None
None
Elective
Elective
It is an MBA course and the
professor said in class: ”I
don’t like tests, because since
you guys are MBA I know
that you know things. So
everyone gets A or B, no one
below”
He actually meant that!
M: Easiest class. The hand
ins are many, but VERY
easy, and I mean very easy. It
is easier for those who have
had statistics, but don’t
worry, the statistics are very
basic. The exam was easy
also, but the multiple choice
a bit tricky. This will be the
part that decides your final
grade.
Great professor, laid back as
well
M: This is the course with
the most to do. 3 case handins and 1 midterm exam.
Also quizzes (very easy
multiple choice) each week
(max 15 min to do)
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Great professor –learned a lot
in the class. Class
participation is required.
Any other experiences/comments about your exchange experience?:
M: It was the best semester. The people I got to know, and the things I experienced were
incredible. I was lucky to spend the semester during the 2012 election (Obama vs. Romney).
Obama actually came to Madison twice, once at campus and once the Capital. It was amazing,
the streets where filled with people. I experienced also the Badgers going the super bowl of
college football, which was great (even though they lost in the final)
It is easy to travel. I went to Boston and Chicago, but also took a road trip to Milwaukee,
Minneapolis and St. Louise. Chicago is just a 3 hour bus trip away, while I flew to Boston
during Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is huge in the US, and Americans love to invite people
over for the thanksgiving dinner.
It does not matter where you go, as long as you go abroad somewhere. My experience here
was wonderful, and everyone I’ve talked to have said the same no matter if they were in
Canada, France, Germany, Netherlands, Australia etc. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity
to experience the college life of the US. Madison is the typical college city where 1/3 of their
citizens are students. There are no regrets at least from my point of view. Be aware, the
semester goes by very quick, be sure to meet a lot of people and relax. The exams and test are
quite easy, just do all your homework and you will have a lot of play time Be free to contact
me or Kaja if there are things you are wondering about. I will be glad to help!
K: It’s the best semester I have ever had. Madison is amazing!
Please do not hesitate to contact us through international office if you have any question!