Student Report
Name of the University: University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business.
Exchange semester: Fall 2012
I. PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Before leaving Norway
I got information from UT about all I needed to know. I received an information package
around May.
I was also contacted by the other students from all over the world that was going to be
exchange students at McCombs. We created a facebook group where we shared information.
Applying for a visa
There were a lot of papers that needed to be filled out before I could travel, but no problems.
Visa has to be fixed at the US embassy in Oslo and I recommend booking an appointment as
early as possible. This can be done at their homepage. The cost of the Visa is around 1000
NOK.
Travel
I ordered my plane ticket online. The cheapest one was with SAS and I booked both arrival
and return date immediately.
Housing
You have to fix housing on your own and you can’t live in the schools dorms on campus. I
recommend fixing housing early and before you arrive to Austin since it can be difficult to get
housing close to campus in August.
As I see it you have three types of housing option: co-operative houses (co-ops), private
dormitories, and apartments.
In co-ops people live together in houses and they share food and labour. This is often very
social and you will meet a lot of new people. Everybody in the house have to do labour once a
week. If you consider living in a co-op make sure to do research, some of them can be really
nice and clean. While other might not be as you expected, example optional clothing. I have
two good friends from Norway and Denmark that really loved living in a co-op because it’s so
social and easy to make friends from all over the world.
Private dorms are a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters and they offer double
(shared) and some single (private) room. Many exchange students choose to live in private
dorms because it`s easy, you have a meal plan, easy to meet new people, leasing is six
months. Some of the private dorms can be really expensive and especially for a single room.
Dormitories and co-ops often have meal plan which make it easy, in an apartment you have to
make your own food. Many exchange students enjoy dorms and co-ops because group living
provides a community of university students, with opportunities to make friends and
participate in shared activities.
I choose to live in a private apartment located in West Campus. This was fully furnished and I
had my own bedroom, it’s more common for people to share bedroom in the US. Leasing is
often for 1 year so try to find something that is only for 6 months if you would like to live in
an apartment. The apartment was nice and I was lucky with my roommates, but I would have
lived in a dorm if I could do over again.
West Campus is an area located right next to campus and is the place to live. It`s walking
distance to the school. There are only students living in the area and all the frats and house
parties are in West Campus.
Costs
-
I paid $650 per month in rent, which included a single bedroom and furniture. This is
really cheap for a single bedroom.
-
Books are expensive just like in Norway, but there are options which might make it
cheaper. Some books can be rented, some can be bought used, and some at Amazon.
Not every professor requires you to buy books so you might end up spending less than
you would in Norway.
-
Food and drinks is cheap. You can get a big meal for $6 and a beer for $1.
-
Clothes are also cheap at least at the outlet stores. The one located in San Marcos, 30
min from Austin is by far the best one of the two outlet stores in the Austin area.
Culture and language
Everybody speaks English, so language is not a problem at all.
Texans love their culture and it’s easy to understand why. The international office has some
arranged trips so students can experience the country and the culture, but another way to
experience the country is to rent a car with some friends. If you have some days off you can
also take some flights to cities with greater distance.
Cultural and social effects from the exchange experience
I got a lot of experience from my exchange, both academic and cultural. People and cultures
from all over the world attend UT and gave me better perspective of life and how to integrate.
I feel more confident speaking English and the experience of new cultures will make it easier
for me to adapt to new cultures in the future. I believe the potential employer will appreciate
this kind of experience.
II. ABOUT THE SCHOOL
UT Austin founded in 1883 is a public university located in the capital of Texas, Austin. UT
is one of the largest and most respected universities in the nation with over 50,000 students.
The university is one of the original public Ivy League schools and the most known in Texas.
I had most of my courses at McCombs School of Business and one course at the Economic
department (Money and Banking). McCombs is a top ranked business school universally
regarded as the leading business school in Texas and the Southwest. McCombs are ranked as
the number one accounting program in the nation.
Austin is a clean and fun city with a lot of students. There is always something to do in this
beautiful city. People from Texas and Austin are very friendly and love to meet new people.
Most of the students live in West Campus where all the frats are located.
Most of the students attending UT are Texans, but there is also a large portion of exchange
and international students. UT has students from more than 120 foreign countries and almost
10 % of the students come from foreign countries.
Course registration
I register for courses before my arrival. I wanted to change 4 of my courses when I arrived
which I did and no problems occurred. When you arrive the school will tell you how to
choose courses and which courses they recommend and which one you can’t take.
After register for courses you can add/drop courses for around 2 weeks.
Academic calendar
The introduction week was the second week of August.
First day of the semester was August 13th.
I had my last exam December 18th.
In the US you have more than one exam, it`s similar to what we had on high school in
Norway with tests. Final exams in often comprehensive and is held in December.
Thanksgiving is a really big holiday, and there is usually no class this week.
Arrival
The reception was really good; the school can help you with anything. I remembered the
student advisor that helped me choose and get all of my courses. They take extra care of the
exchange students.
Many of the school’s students would like to get to know Norwegians. You can join a “buddy
program” at the beginning of the semester. Here you will come in a group with “buddies”
from the US and other exchange students. These are often Americans who would like to travel
to your home-country.
Remember you are not the only one that doesn’t know anybody; all the exchange students
have the same problem. It was therefore easy to make new friends.
Transportation
This is Texas and public transportation is not as good as you might be used to. In Austin you
have a public bus service. If you are not going downtown it can be inconvenient and some
waiting time taking the bus. From the school and West Campus the bus goes quite often
downtown and is easy to take. From Thursday-Saturday there are also busses you can take at
night back home after you have been to one of many Austin bars.
All the buses in Austin are free if you are a student at UT.
The International Office
There is an international office located in West Campus on 22th and Rio Grande st. They are
very helpful and you can just drop by or call them with any questions you might have.
Promoting BI and Norway
I promoted exchange to Norway and BI at a promotion stand located in McCombs. Here I
hung a flag and some pictures of Norway and promoted our lovely country to whoever passed
by and seemed interested.
Social activities
I had a good relationship with native students. I shared an apartment with 3 Americans. They
showed and told me what to do in Austin. We became friends and they introduced me to
many of their friends.
Exchange students become really good friends. All internationals wanted to make new friends
and you will also meet many of them at social activities.
The best student organization is Planet Longhorn; they throw some parties and arrange good
trips.
III. ACADEMICS
In the classroom
In the US you have more than one exam, it`s similar to what we had on high school in
Norway with tests. You have to turn in homework, cases, reports, assignments and etc.
The teaching style is more practical than BI. The classes consist of less people, around 25 and
you will get a more personal relationship with the professors in the US. They will also be able
to help you more.
The level of study and workload is heavier at UT. The exams are heavier at BI.
Course materials
The professors used books/literature, articles, PowerPoint, movies, online articles,
newspapers, etc as course materials.
The course materials were all in English.
The level of the course materials is better at UT. Focusing on news and debating made the
lectures more interesting.
Exams
Some of the professors based the exams on the course materials some on the lecture, but
mostly on a mix of both.
The courses were evaluated with:
o Final exam, written.
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
Exams are weighted most.
Library and technology
The library and resources you get access to ass a student is remarkable. The campus provided
free wifi, PCs and Macs round campus.
You use blackboard (similar to its learning) as main communication.
Description of courses
For exchange students UT drop all prerequisites.
Course name:
Exam
Investment management
20% Multiple choice, 40% Short answer, 40% Essay
Operations management
Multiple choice, short answers and problem solving.
International Trade
Multiple choice
Money & Banking
100 % Calculation
Money & Capital Markets None 80% Multiple choice, 20% Short answers
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Investment Management
This was the heaviest course I had, but also the one I learned most off. The professor is very
though, but fair. He wanted the students to understand and learn the material. The course is a
classic finance course and you will learn about financial instruments, investments companies,
portfolio theory, equilibrium in capital markets, etc. If you like finance I recommend this
course.
Operations Management
This was the only course BI required me to take. You will learn how to manage different
business operations, use Gantt charts and use statistics in such operations. It is an interesting
class, and the workload is relatively low. I would recommend paying attention to the lectures
since these are important for the exam.
International Trade
This course is a very interesting course, which will give you the knowledge about macro,
international economy and integrations in the world. It is updated in the sense that news is
included in the lectures. You need to submit two papers and you will have a quiz every week
and four exams, whereas the lowest exam will be dropped. The professor is very nice and
teaching in a way that makes it very easy to understand.
Money & Banking
It`s a finance course, but the course is taught at the economic department right next to
McCombs. The course is very different from investment management. In money and banking
you study financial instruments, how banking makes money, how to hedge, etc. What
distinguishes money and banking from the other finance courses is that you don’t have a text
book and the course is 100 % calculation. That means you don’t always understand why and
what they do.
Money & Capital Markets
Very interesting course and the one I liked the most. The course had a small workload, not
that difficult and no textbook. You will learn about hedging, financial markets, Federal
Reserve, etc. The professor is very nice and teaching about a subject that can be difficult, but
he makes it easy. The course does not go into the depth of every subject but gives you an
understanding for beginners. The course was taught very different from professor to professor
and another professor made the course the heaviest course they had, so be aware.
The professors have all the power over the courses and decide how they should teach and
what to include in the syllabus. Therefore many courses will vary. A good tip is to ask
Americans if they can tell you about the good professors.
Please just contact med through the International Office at BI if there is anything that you are
wondering about. I have a lot of information, besides from what´s in this report that I would
be glad to share, if interested.