GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Student Report
Name of the University: Michigan State University
Exchange semester: Fall 2012
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
- When and how did you receive information from the exchange university?
I received information from MSU in May. I first got an email from the international office at
MSU and then I got all the information from my student advisor both via electronic and paper
mail.
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Any difficulties in preparing (application, housing, contact, courses, etc)?
It was very stressful at times and I had to make a lot of phone calls to the international office
for help, but it all worked out in the end. I got a lot of help with my courses from my student
advisor.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
- How did you apply for your visa?
I applied online, and had to go for an interview at the American embassy in Oslo after the
application was submitted.
-
What problems, if any, did you encounter?
It is a long process and a little frustrating at times, and it will cause a lot of problems if
you don’t start the application process early. But everything was fine.
- How much did the visa cost?
Around 2000 NOK.
Travel
- How did you travel to your destination? Any problems?
Flight from Oslo to Detroit via New York, and then buss from Detroit to East Lansing. No
problems. Check ticket.com.
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university, or did you have to find your own housing?
Housing was provided by the university and is highly recommended. I lived in East McDonel
Hall.
- What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
The school takes care of placing you in dorms. And they have their own website for housing
questions, information and help.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
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Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Living in a dorm is very social and has a lot of fun, and you get to know everyone on your
floor very fast. But you should be prepared to live very close with people, especially your
roommate and suit mates. Some people will have problems with their roommates, but it is
really no problem for me and it is possible to change rooms.
Costs
- Approximately how much per month did you spend on rent, books, food,
transportation, and other personal expenses?
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
NOK
NOK 500
NOK 1000
NOK 500
NOK 1000
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
No, not at all.
-
How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
Very good! The international office arranges a lot of field trips to for example Chicago and
Lake Michigan. You will also have time off to travel on your own.
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?
It was one of the best experiences of my life, you make friends from all over the world and
get more used to adapting in a different country and culture.
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How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
I think it will be very positive, a lot of schools and companies put emphasis on students and
employees that have international experiences.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school and its surroundings (give a short summary)
It is a very huge and beautiful university. It is located in East Lansing, and basically the entire
town is a campus. It is a lot of activities on campus and in the town to do, a lot of restaurants,
bars, coffee shops and shopping opportunities both on and off campus. It might be huge, but it
is easy to get to know your surroundings and a lot of transport opportunities.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
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Current faculty divisions and special areas
The professors were all in all at a good level, and they do whatever they can to help you
academically and with other issues.
-
Approx. number of students (graduate and undergraduate) and number of exchange
students
Approximately 48 000 students. 36 000 undergraduates. 12% of the students are international.
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Study structure
The study structure is in many ways similar to the structure at BI. But a lot of the classes will
take attendance, and it is more work to do throughout the semester. The positive thing about
this is that you don’t have as much to do in November and December as we usually have at
BI. Also, the classes normally just last for one hour or 90 min.
Course registration
- Were you able to register for courses before arrival?
Yes both before and when we arrived.
-
If not, when did you register? Any difficulties?
I registered in May/June because the classes get full quite quickly, but it is not a problem to
do it when you arrive or change your courses after arrival. You will also get help from your
academic advisor.
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When and how long was the period for adding/dropping courses?
You could add/drop courses until September 7th.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
16.08
29.08
07.12
10.12-14.12
Thanksgiving, Labor
day, Halloween.
Other:
Arrival
- Was the administration and faculty well-prepared for your arrival?
Yes, absolutely. They greet you and give you a lot of information, and the first week is
orientation week for international students, this was very well organized.
-
Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
Yes you will get American students as mentors, which was very helpful and a great way to
meet new people that know their way around campus.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
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Describe the introduction week?
A lot of practical information, but also a lot of fun. You will be with the other exchange
students, we were 104 in my group. The orientation week is a very good way to get to know
the other exchange students and getting to know campus and East Lansing. The mentors also
take you out to dinner and parties the first week, and the international office arrange field trips
like baseball games and beach-days.
The International Office
- Is there an international office?
Yes.
- As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information? In
English?
Yes they gave us a lot of help and information, and they were a huge part of the social events.
Promoting BI and Norway
- What kind of activities were you involved in to promote exchange to Norway at your
exchange university?
I was at a student fair to promote going on exchange to Norway.
Social activities
- How was your relationship with native students?
I got very close with the Americans that lived in my dorm, and also some classmates.
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How was the relationship among the exchange students?
Very good! We got very close, almost like a family. I spent a lot of time with other exchange
students.
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Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students a part of it?
There are a lot of student organisations at MSU, and a lot of us were a part of organisations.
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Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
Yes, the international office arranges a number of events for the exchange group.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style.
The university takes place in auditoriums or classrooms, where a professor teaches in the
same style as in BI.
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Language of instruction? Any problems?
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
English. No problems, and you can get help in writing centres if language is a problem.
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How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
The difficulty level is very similar, I would actually say a bit easier at MSU.
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Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
Depends a great deal on your major. Mine was theoretical.
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Did professors use cases, group work or lectures (or a combination)?
There was a lot of group projects and cases, and the lectures works in the same way as in BI.
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How is the workload compared to that at BI?
A lot more work to do every week at MSU, but usually not very difficult. You have to get
used of doing cases as homework a lot more. Also, at MSU you will very likely have 3 exams
in each course, but they are much smaller and often easier.
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Describe the relationship between professors and students.
Professional, but the professors are very helpful and you can make appointments with them or
talk to them after class. In small classes they try to learn your name.
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Describe the relationship between the students in the classroom.
Depends on whether or not it is a big class. In my small classes I got to know the students
quite fast, and you will work a lot in groups.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint, etc).
Books, articles, websites, power point presentations and article collections.
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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?
A lot of the course material was easy to get through, and similar to the material at BI.
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Were materials used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview of a subject?
I would say both, but I learned more from the professors than from the material.
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
Very often both, but mostly from lectures.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
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How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
o Final exam: written, 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
Library and technology
- Do students have easy access to the library and its resources?
Yes there are two big libraries free to use.
-
Were computers provided around campus/in the library?
There are computers and printers everywhere at school, also in the dorms.
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How is technology used in teaching or to distribute information?
Many of the classes would not let us use laptops, but I always used my laptop for schoolwork
outside the classroom. The professors will use the MSU academics website and the email
system to distribute information.
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.
Course code & name
Example:FIN123
Finance
Marketing Strategy
MKT 460
International & Comp.
Dimensions of
Business
MKT 310
Consumer and org.
buyer behaviour
MKT 302
Interpersonal
Influence and Conflict
COM 325
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
4-hour written
exam
90 min written
exam
None
Bachelor
3x90 min
multiple choice
exam.
Bachelor
2x 90 min
multiple choice
exams.
3x 50 min
multiple choice
exams.
Bachelor
Consumer
Behaviour.
Quantitative
methods.
Marketing
Reseearch.
None
Managerial
Marketing.
Methods of
communicatio
n inquiry.
Approved
as
Elective
Comments