Student Report
The University of Texas at Arlington
Fall 2015
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
- When and how did you receive information from the exchange university, and did you
encounter any difficulties?
Courtney, the International Office coordinator, informed me in the beginning of May.
After your formal application you can apply for F1-VISA at the US embassy in Oslo.
The process is smooth and without any difficulties. Bring whatever listed.
Applying for a visa (if applicable)
- How did you apply for your visa, what did it cost and did you have difficulties?
- In total you should expect $250 for application and other fees. Remember to bring a
photo and make sure you have all the required paperwork prior to arriving at the
embassy.
Travel
- How did you travel to your destination?
- Norwegian from Gardermoen to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I bought my tickets in May
and paid NOK2,000 for a one way ticket. From FL to Dallas Fort Worth international
airport I paid $150 for tickets ordered same day. US => Oslo: Same price.
Housing
- Was housing provided by the university? If not, did you receive support from the
school?
- No, housing is not provided by the university but they will help you if necessary. I
would recommend that you stay on campus but there are several possibilities outside
as well. Prices range from really cheap to expensive. I stayed at Lipscomb Hall which
is located just outside the Business Building. You should not expect much if you
decide to stay at Limpscomb but it’s a great “bang for the bucks”. I paid just under
$1,000 for the entire semester.
Costs
- Approximately how much per month did you spend on rent, books, food,
transportation, and other personal expenses?
Rent
Books
Food
Transport
Other
NOK 10,000
NOK 7,000
NOK 2,000
NOK
Individual.
Buy a car! No
public
transportation!
NOK
Individual
Note: take a look at the exchange rate before you compare prices. On average I paid
NOK 8.7/$.
Culture and language
- Did you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
- How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
- No, I did not have any language problems. If you have some experience you should be
just fine. There are a lot of students from Asia which are probably experiencing
greater challenges than you will.
- There are a wide range of possiblites to experience both Texas and different culutres.
Every Thursday the International Office has what’s called “global grounds” which is a
get-together for students from all-over. You should definitely go! It’s located at the
University Center.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Please describe:
- The school (location, size, study structure, special academic areas etc.)
- The school is huge and offers free membership to the MAC which is a gym located 5
minutes from the Business Building.
Course registration
- When and how did you register for courses?
- You will register as soon as possible and may experience difficulties enrolling. Prior
to enrolment you’ll have to take a TB-test, hand in different copies of visa and other
documents. I arrived two weeks before class started and had trouble enrolling for first
day of class.
- When did the add/drop period end?
- The add/drop-period ends 6 weeks after first day of class.
Academic calendar
Arrival date:
First day of the semester:
Last day of classes:
Examination period:
Any special events/holidays:
Other:
August 14th
August 27th
December 08th
December 8th – 15th
Thanksgiving
None
Arrival
- Describe the introduction week
- The international office will help you with any challenges regarding enrolment.
However, the university has a great system for international students. You will have to
bring hard copies of VISA, courses and you should bring a transcript of your BI
grades and a complete syllabus for ALL your courses taken at BI. Start the enrolment
as soon as possible.
The International Office
- As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant information?
-
You will receive information from the beginning of May until arrival at the university
and you should not run into any difficulties due to a lack of information.
Promoting BI and Norway
- What kind of activities were you involved in to promote exchange to Norway at your
exchange university?
- The international office promotes universities from all over and you are invited to
promote BI at several occasions. However, this is not obligatory, but you should
attend – it is a lot of fun!
Social activities
- How was the relationship with native students and that among exchange students?
Most Americans love to get to know international students and are really outgoing. If
you choose to stay on campus you will share with both international students and
native students which is great.
- Are there any special activities, student organisations, and gatherings for exchange
students?
- You may attend a wide variety of organizations ranging from The Finance Society to
UT Arlington’s chess-club. I chose to participate in the Finance Society and did some
local volunteer work.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
- Describe the teaching style (practical, theoretical, cases/lectures, formal/informal etc.)
- How is the level and workload compared to that at BI?
- Most courses are taught in small groups which is great. You get to know your
professor and most are interested in getting to know you to. However, you should
always come prepared to class and expect that the workload is a lot heavier than at BI.
The courses are not harder, but I have never done as much homework before. Also,
expect mid-terms(2-3), hand-ins, quizzes, spread-sheet projects and final exams.
Course materials
- Describe the course materials used (books/literature, online articles, Powerpoint, level
of course material etc).
- International Finance: You do not need the book. However, if you miss more than two
classes and are unable to obtain the notes you should probably see Dr. Smallwood at
office hours. He expects that you show up to class and spend a lot of time working.
- Operations Management: You need the book in order to do the homework that is
assigned online. Interresting class that provides you with a lot of knowledge about
production systems and LEAN management.
- Econometrics: According to Dr. Spivey you can choose between a couple of different
books and a free online-based book. Most people used the online version, but I used
one of the books. Classes are power-point and assignment-based.
- Business Finance: Finance I and II.
- Investments: Some professors require a lot of prerequsits, but you should be fine
without. If you have take Financial Markets at BI the course is harder, but comparable.
Exams
- Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lectures?
- How was the course evaluated (include all that apply)?
o Final exam (include form: written, oral, home assignment, presentation, etc.):
o Written exams ONLY!
o Mid-term exam:
o Written exams ONLY!
o In-class quizzes throughout semester:NONE
o Small assignments and/or papers: A lot of them. Expect at least two a week.
o Presentations:NONE
o Group work:Some.
o Class attendance:You should attend all classes.
o Class participation/debates:Expected from all professors.
o Activities outside of the classroom:NONE
Library and technology
- Describe the facilities
- The central Library is located in campus-center and is open 24/7. A great library that
has a Starbucks and POD-market which is a small convenience store. Printing system
is mostly same as BI.
Description of courses
Please list below all the courses you took while on exchange. Your comments are useful for
BI and for future exchange students, include information on the qacadmic level, challenges,
relevance to your studies, if the course was practical/theoretical, any enrolment issues, etc.
Course code & name
Example:FIN123
Finance
OPMA3306
Master/
Bachelor
Bachelor
Bachelor
Exam form
Prerequisites
4-hour written
exam
Mid-terms,
Final exam,
hand-ins and
homework.
None
Approved
as
Elective
Comments
Strategy
Course was
OK. You
should
expect a lot
of work.
You should
definitely
take
Econometri
cs tought
by Dr.
Spivey.
Highly
interesting
course
taught by a
great
professor.
A lot of
work, but
fun. Dr.
Smallwood
is using
ECON3318
Bachelor
Mid-terms,
Final exam,
hand-ins and
homework.
Elective
ECON4322
Bachelor
Mid-terms,
Final exam,
hand-ins and
homework.
Elective
FINA3315
Bachelor
Mid-terms,
Final exam,
hand-ins and
homework.
Elective
FINA3313
Bachelor
Mid-terms,
Final exam,
hand-ins and
homework.
Elective
day-to-day
examples to
back
theory.
The course
is a lot like
Financial
Markets,
but heavier
workload
and harder.
Easy class.
Note: There were a lot of changes to the prerequisites prior to Fall15-semester. You
should talk to an advisor before enrolling. Look professors up via “rate my professor” in
order to decide.
On a final note, how will you sum up the exchange experience?
A great experience! The first couple of weeks are stressful but once you are
enrolled everything is a lot easier. You get to know a lot of people and I
would definitely recommend UTA!