GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE STUDENT REPORT
Please write this report in English
Name of the University: The University of Texas at Austin
Names of the students: Truls Hoel
Exchange semester: Spring, 2010
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
1. Describe the school and its surroundings
The school is very close to downtown Austin, which makes it convenient for you as a
student if you need to buy something. The school campus is huge (!) with all amenities
you could think of. The school has its own swimming pool, a football stadium that can
hold approximately 100,000 viewers, two big fitness centers, many basketball courts+++.
All amenities are free of charge!
2. Current faculty divisions and special areas.
I attended the McCombs school of business, which is a top ranked business school. Last
time I checked, the school was ranked as number 47 of all the worlds best business
schools by Financial Times. The Finance division at McCombs is ranked among
America’s top 5 best!
3. Number of students - graduate and undergraduate – number of exchange students
McCombs school of business has some 6,000 students, while the whole university has
about 50,000 students. There are approximately 1,200 exchange students.
4. Study structure
There was a lot more to do than what I was used to here at BI. This is mainly because of
all the tests and hand-ins you are obligated to accomplish throughout the semester. I had
5 courses and each course had 2 midterms and one final, which equals 15 exams from
Jan 20th – May 14th. A couple of the courses required you to do homework two times per
week, which you needed to hand in. These homework assignments were a part of your
final grade.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
 When did you receive the information package from the University?
I received the package in November, which is plenty of time for you to read through it and
get prepared.
 Any difficulties?
Not at all.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
 Does the visa cost anything?
The SEVIS fee cost $180.
 How did you order your ticket – any problems?
I ordered my ticket through Kilroy Travels. I got my ticket for less than 5000 NOK,
travelling from OSL – Austin and from New York – Oslo.
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date – introductory week
I arrived in Austin on the 4th of January. The introductory week began on the 8th of
January and ended around the 16th.
 First day of the semester?
19th of January
 Last day of classes?
6th of May
 Examination period?
6th of May – 17th of May (my last exam was on the 14th)
 Any special events?
Springbreak is the biggest “event” during the semester. A lot of people travel to places
like Cancun, Mexico or South Padre, in Texas. Personally, I didn’t travel to Mexico
because the government had sent out an official warning to all citizens stating that
travelling in Mexico was considered dangerous. I travelled to Las Vegas and San
Francisco instead, which was awesome.
Reception
 How was the reception at the school?
The reception was very well organized. I knew – even before I arrived in Austin – the plan
for the whole introductory week, so it was all predictable. They had arranged a “welcome”
event where they gave us a lot of useful information.
 Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
They gave us all information we needed and were very welcoming.
 Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
No, but that didn’t really matter much because you only hung out with international
students anyway. Since you are all in the same position, it is very easy to make friends
and get in touch with the internationals.
Housing
 Did you have housing at your disposal or did you have to find your own housing?
I found my housing prior to my arrival. I stayed at a student complex called Jefferson 26,
which was very good! I read a lot of bad reviews of this place before I decided to stay
here, but most of these reviews are erroneous.
 What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
They could help you with anything, but I didn’t ask for help since I had already found my
housing.
 Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Personally, I would either recommend you to stay at Jefferson 26 (it has Austin’s biggest
pool area and a lot of great amenities + it is 10 minutes walking distance from the
business school) or The Castilian. The rooms at J26 are very spacious, but the downside
of staying here is that you need to pay the rent until 31 st of July, which is two more
months than you probably will be staying there. I found a sublessee who took over my
room for the last two months.
The other alternative is to check out The Castilian. It is located even closer to campus
(the business school) and the price is a bit lower, but the rooms are very small! It is also
very noisy at times because of all the parties. There are a lot of international students
living here, which is a plus.
Costs
 Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books, food, etc.
Books are very expensive; we are talking at least Norwegian prices here. However, I
didn’t buy any books from the co-op (the book store “everyone” uses). In one course I
didn’t buy any book at all (just used powerpoint slides and did all the homework
assignments). I bought some used books from Amazon.com, which is unbelievable
cheap!! I spent approx $300 on food. Buying food from the grocery store (like Wal Mart) is
way less expensive than in Norway, sometimes half-price off. The rent was originally
$750 each month, but since I subleased from another student I only paid $650.
The International Office
 Is there an international office?
Yes
 Who is responsible for incoming exchange students?
The BBA department at McCombs and the international office. Leah Miller is the one you
will probably be in contact with.
 How does the international office function?
You may just drop in any time in case you have any questions. They also set up some
trips during the year; one to Fredericksburg and another to the NASA Space Center, in
Houston. The very first trip arranged was during the first days in the introductory week,
where they took you to Target so you could do your initial shopping for your room, which
was very helpful.

Do you receive all relevant information?
Yes
Exchange promotion
 What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Norway at your
exchange university?
I attended (voluntarily) an informational meeting for students who were interested in
taking a semester abroad at BI. I had a brief presentation where I and the previous
exchange students from Norway spoke about BI and Norway in general.
Social Activities
 How is your relationship with other students?
Very good. People are very forthcoming.
 How is the relationship among the exchange students?
Very good. I spent most of my time with international students. However, I got friends with
a couple of Americans as well, which I highly recommend you to get! They love to meet
foreign students and will take you to places you would never think of yourself.
 Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students part of it?
Planet Longhorn is the student organization you will be most involved with. They arrange
many events throughout the semester! It is truly a great student organization you will love
(especially if you like partying)
 Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
There are many different events you can attend. It is very easy to get to know the
students.
 How do you like it at the school?
I loved it! The McCombs school of business is truly a great school with very well educated
professors. I learned more here than I have ever learned in a full year!
Culture and Language
 Do you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
No.
 How are the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
The possibilities are almost endless! Travelled a lot during the semester with
internationals and some Americans. After the semester I went on a 3-week roadtrip with
three other friends of mine, and then took 5 days in New York. On the roadtrip we drove
through almost 25 different states!! It was truly an amazing and incredible experience!
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?
I feel that I learned so much and gained so many new experiences that I would never get
the chance to experience if I didn’t take this exchange semester. I now have good friends
from all over the world; everywhere from Brazil to France.
 How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
My English skills improved a lot, both verbally and written. I feel more confident now when
I speak to foreigners and I think my future employer will recognize that I am not afraid of
taking chances and go with what’s unfamiliar.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
 In which language are the courses taught? Any problems?
All in English. No problems.
 How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
There is quite a lot more to do than in Norway, especially if you want a good grade (A or
B). If you just want to pass, it requires very little hard work.
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Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
Both. but much more practical than in Norway. In one course I had, Consulting & Change
Management, I teamed up with a group of five where we actually worked for a real-life
firm that was located in downtown Austin. We worked as external consultants for them
throughout the whole semester, which was a great practical experience!
Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a mix)?
They use basically everything from presentations to homework assignments, from
research papers to standard exams. Exams are short-written answers or a mix of this and
multiple choice.
How is the workload compared to that at BI?
Way more to do if you want a top grade. But this also depends heavily on the courses you
choose to take.
How is the relationship between faculty and students?
Very good. Many professors learn your name from the first day of class.
What is the relationship between the students in the classroom?
It is laidback and very good. Americans are very welcoming and friendly towards
internationals.
Required Literature
 Is the literature in English?
Yes
 How do you estimate the level of the literature?
About the same as in BI, maybe a bit better
 Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview?
Both
 Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures?
Both. This depends heavily on your professor.
Exams
 What types of exams were you given?
As already mentioned, mainly short-written answers, multiple choice or a mix of them.
 What knowledge level was required to pass the exams?
Easy to just pass. I guess they require the same knowledge as BI does.
Other
 Do students have easy access to the library and it’s resources?
Yes, there are a lot of IT resources for you to use free of charge. UT also provides free
wireless internet on the whole campus, even outdoors.
 How is the access to the computers?
Very good
 How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information?
It depends. Some professors do not allow you to use computers in class, while others
encourage it.
Description of Courses
Example:
Course name:
Prereq.
Exam
Major at BI
Approved as
(Common/elective/extra)
ACC 359 Managerial/Cost Accounting
Basic Acc.
Written
Common
Equal to Operativ Økonomistyring. The grade was based on two midterms
and one final, plus 15 (!) case studies from Harvard Business School. We
had to write a report for each case, and these counted as a part of the final
grade.
FIN 357 Business Finance
None
Written
Common
Equal to Finans 1. We had two midterms and one final. Each counted onethird of the total grade. The exam consisted of 5 “fill-in-the-blank”, 5
“matching words”, one essay question and several quantitative questions.
OM 335 Operations Management
None
Written
Common
Approved as “logistikk”. It is not actually the same as logistics, but a very
interesting and useful course! We had two midterms and one final, 15
homework assignments, had to read one book called “The Goal” and several
case studies. The course is not very difficult, but requires a lot of time if you
want a top grade.
MAN 325 Strategic Human Resource Management
None
Written Common
Equal to Org. ledelse og HRM. In this class we did two reports, one casestudy, a consultant assignment for a firm (with a final presentation) and two
exams. Class participation also affected the grade.
MAN 328 Conosulting & Change MGMT
None
Written Common Elective
I chose this course instead of taking Intercultural communication. It also
ended up being the one course I liked the most and learned the most from. I
highly recommend this course if you are curious about the consulting
business and would like to explore this field before graduating.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
Please fill in all the courses you have taken
Any other experiences:
Austin is undoubtedly THE best city in Texas. Period. I went to all the major cities in Texas
and nothing can compare to Austin. Everything from the weather to the people living and
studying here is great. The nightlife in Austin is extreme. There is a bar street called “6 th
street” that everyone knows about, and this is where all the students go partying on
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Make sure you get a hold on a Texas ID card during the introductory week. It takes about 2-3
weeks before you’ll receive it. It is much better to carry this little card around instead of always
having to use your Norwegian passport. Norwegian driver’s license works in the U.S, so you
don’t need to bring an international driver’s license.
Make sure you get to know some Americans as well, not only internationals. Explore the U.S
at the end of the semester – by car! I had the time of my life in Austin and I am 100 % sure
you also will!
Don’t hesitate to contact me if you need information about housing or anything that concerns
your stay in Austin.
Names and e-mails:
Truls Rekdal Hoel: truls.hoel@gmail.com