Exchange Report
Name of the University: University of Florida
Names of the students: Bjørn Marius Wold, Xi Nan, Xin
Jian
Exchange semester: Fall, 2010
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
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Describe the school and its surroundings – very short
University of Florida (UF) is located in Gainesville, Florida. It is a little town in north Florida
where most of the inhabitants are students. Gainesville has about 100’000 inhabitants, and is
located 1.5 hour drive north of Orlando and 5 hour drive north of Miami. The campus is a huge
area with many buildings and park areas. With Gater1 Card, you can use swimming pools, tennis
courses, studios and more for free. Your courses are normally located at the northeast part of the
campus so you. The campus is divided between different areas of study. There are free busses that
take you all around campus and the city, but there’s a main area where you can buy books, snacks,
food, study, and has a walking distance to lectures. The Campus is amazing with a lot of sitting
areas and big huge old trees.
Current faculty divisions and special areas.
Number of students - graduate and undergraduate – number of exchange students
There is approximately 50 000 students in total at UF. There are over 100 exchange students from
all around the world!
Study structure
For master students the semester is divided into two modules. Normally, we finish 3 courses at
first module, and after a more-than-10-day autumn break, we have another 3 courses at the second
module.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
 When did you receive the information package from the University?
 After we got nominated by BI to go to UF, the whole application process lasted more than two
months. We knew from the very beginning what we need to do: getting courses approved, filling
out application forms, getting immunization form and waiting for the study contract. We got in
contact with UF right after we were nominated and it’s until the end of the semester we received
the study contract to apply for VISA. So I would really encourage you to get started with things as
soon as you can and be patient as much as you could. UF has only one International Office, and
Lyn is pretty much the only person responsible to handle all the exchange students. So be
understanding :)
 Any difficulties?
Yeah, it might take a bit time to communicate with UF International Office. But we all did good.
Just be patient.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
 What problems, if any did you encounter?
As Chinese citizens, Xi and Xin can apply for US Visa either in China or in Norway. But because
it’s much easier to do it in Oslo, both of us did it here. The procedure is pretty easy, although with
a lot of forms to be filled out. The only document we need besides standard requirement for
Norwegian citizens is a Bostedsattest (residency certificate) from Skatteetaten (Tax Office).
It’s easy to get an appointment. And after the submission of documents and interview at the
embassy, we all received the VISA in two days. Make sure to have all the documents well
prepared for the interview!
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Does the visa cost anything?
You need pay the Visa application fee. Check out the official website here:
http://norway.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html
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How did you order your ticket – any problems?
No problem. We used www.skyscanner.no. The round trip ticket cost us around 6000NOK per
person from Oslo to Gainesville.
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date – introductory week
Xi and I arrived on Aug 17th, while Marius arrived Aug 18th. The first mandatory orientation
started on Aug 19th. They did a great job giving exchange students all the information we need to
know. During the first week we got to meet a lot of exchange students.
 First day of the semester?
The semester started on 23rd.
 Last day of classes?
All the exams were done on 17th December, 2010. It depends on the courses you choose. Some
students were done already a week before!
 Examination period?
 The last week of each module is examination period. However the final exams don’t demand too
much extra studying because of the short modules and ongoing assignments through the module.
Xin: I personally don’t really feel the existence of examination period, partially because I’m
always with exams, partially because the module itself is too short to make the final period
observable.
 Any special events?
Academically? Not really…
Reception
 How was the reception at the school?
 Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
They are more than prepared. They are professional. They had a presentation where they explained
rules and how things worked and you got a lot of questions answered. They tell you everything
that needs to be done. There was an exchange student office you could visit if you had problems of
any kind. There’s a lot of practical info on this meeting so it is important to be there.
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Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
There is a buddy arrangement called NaviGators that we met one of the first days. All
internationals get their own Navigator (American buddy) that can help you with everything.
Navigators are great. Just like our InSA, organizing a lot of trips and activities. Try to participate
in more activities at the beginning, because after the autumn break, there are normally not that
many things arranged by the NaviGator and people tend to stick to their established clique.
Housing
 Did you have housing at your disposal or did you have to find your own housing?
We can apply for on-campus housing, which Marius did. However the international dorm is not in
its best shape and the other students are mostly undergrads that make noise all day and night and
don’t clean up after themselves in the common areas. Xi and Xin chose to live off-campus. They
searched apartments after they arrived in Gainesville.
 What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
We kind of did the whole housing part on our own. It’s cool. You can search some housing info
online or from the booklets you will receive upon arrival.
 Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Xin: Try this: http://www.gainesville-rent.com/quickref.asp
I think it has every apartment in Gainesville listed.
Don’t go through every of them, because only a few of them offer short-term lease. As far as we
know Lexington Crossing and The Estates do. We settled down in Lexington Crossing. I am
satisfied with it. It’s just like SIO in Oslo. You rent a room and other roommates will fill in. I live
in a 4/4, having my own bathroom and sharing kitchen& living room with 3 other roommates.
Roommates are so precious.
Ps, don’t look at the rates on that page as well. As a short-term renter, you are gonna pay extra.
(liquidity preference theory in operation). We ended up paying $479/month, all inclusive
(furnished, water, electricity).
Costs
 Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books, food, etc.
The main expense is the rent. Then it follows with food and travelling. Food in US is cheaper than
in Norway. But don’t expect anything less than what you used to spend on food. The very fact that
food costs less made everyone of us ended up eating out too much. Books are expensive in US but
one option is to rent the books for a semester. Travelling is cheaper in the U.S. than in Europe, so
use the opportunity to travel around US, it’s so WORTH it.
On Campus you find food chains like subway, Wendy’s, Burger king, Chilies, Einstein etc which
is not too expensive. Starbucks is more European prices but very good frappuccinos (green tea
Frappuccino is great!). Fast food is relatively cheap in the US. A large meal on campus cost about
$5-6 and it tastes way better than what you get in the cafeteria at BI. If you are looking for a better
dinner, you might find prices from $8-12 plus tips. Alternatively, you can buy a meal plan. If you
pay for this in advance, you can eat all your meals at campus and you don’t have to worry about
buying food or go to the mall to make dinner and so on. However the price is not much cheaper.
You can take the bus for free with showing your GatorOne Card to the driver. Also, you can buy a
car, but none of us did so. If you want to go somewhere, like Orlando, Miami, Tampa, Key West
renting a car is a good choice.
You can buy your books at bookstores around campus or at Campus. There is also possible to buy
international editions via online which is much cheaper. The books are expensive and costs about
$100-$200 each. It is possible to sell them when you are done, but you won’t get a fair price. The
books are maybe an investment to keep for later usage, but if you have a lot of baggage on the way
home the books may take a lot of your quote.
You would probably like to create an American account and get an American phone number when
you get there. The cell phones are cheap. Xi used her phone and it worked well as well. Xin and Xi
used T-Mobile service, which was good. You would pay $30 for a month, including 1500 minutes
talking or texts and 30M internet.
The International Office
 Is there an international office?
Yes.
 Who is responsible for incoming exchange students?
Lyn Straka from International Office (IO) is responsible for us. Elizabeth from the business
department will be responsible for your course selection only. Other issues you need to ask IO.
 How does the international office function?
 Do you receive all relevant information?
The responsible for incoming exchange students was Lyn. She is easy to get in touch with. She
sends you all info you’ll need via the school email Gatorlink that you create before leaving
Norway.
Exchange promotion
 What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Norway at your exchange
university?
We actually didn’t have any chance to do our university promotion officially. But we tried in every
way to represent BI and Norway. Many American students are interested in learning about
Norwegian culture and nature (some of them have never seen snow before).
Xin: Every time we have a social, Xi and I had always on our name tag our names and “China &
Norway”. It actually surprised me a bit that many people don’t actually know a lot about Norway
(like what language Norwegian speak, the name of our capital). So we always try to share with
people information about this beautiful Scandinavian country. And by doing so, I just feel so proud
that I am an exchange student from BI and Oslo.
Social Activities
 How is your relationship with other students?
Most of American students are open minded and inclusive in class and group work, so it is never a
problem to get to know fellow students.
 How is the relationship among the exchange students?
The international students tend to stick together, mostly because of all the activities arranged by
the NaviGators. This creates good bonds with the other students. Marius traveled both to Bahamas
and Las Vegas with a group of other Scandinavian students.
 Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students part of it?
There are a lot of student organizations but since we were there for only a semester we did not try
to get involved in any fraternities or sororities.
 Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
Like we have mentioned there are many activities arranged by the NaviGators.
 How do you like it at the school?
I love UF. It’s such a big university. Gainesville is simply a collage town. There are a lot of things
going on every single day. It’s fun.
Culture and Language
 Do you have any language problems with the faculty or other students?
All the students speak fluently English, and it was no problem communicating to other students or
faculty members.
Xin: I guess because Xi and I are “international students” all the time, we didn’t really feel too
much difference by speaking English in an English-speaking country. On the good side, we
actually felt better to be able to do grocery shopping without making too much effort guessing
what things are.
 How are the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
Xin: It’s easy because of the American culture. I got a bunch of friends, friends living together,
friends at school, from different clubs, from church, made on trip… You got to seize this
opportunity to travel a lot.
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?
Xin: For me, this half year is life changing. It’s miracles by miracles. The world is refreshing every day
because of all the things happening around and all the people I encountered. It is so great to feel that
you are not the same person any more, and your inner self just grow so much. There is one thing which
makes US fairly charming, the diversification. It’s everything which I could never ever have imagined
is genuinely happening. And this is the very reason why I would suggest students to take the
opportunity to go on exchange. No matter where you go, just jump out of your familiar environment,
tear apart the box bounding you, and make changes in yourself. You are gonna grow so much and get
closer to be the person you wanna be. This is my wish for every one of you who will take this
adventure and maybe see this world from a totally different angle.

How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
All employers we have been in contact with seek outgoing people with international experience.
This is a great way of gaining that experience and at the same time have a great time.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
 In which language are the courses taught? Any problems?
All courses are taught in English.
Xin: Well, I did sometimes have difficulties understanding things going on in class because of
language barrier, but I wouldn’t say it caused any significant problems.
 How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
This is the fun part. The level is for sure lower, but the workload is much heavier. I remember at
the first module, I had on average 3 quizzes/tests/exams per 2 weeks and 1 assignment per week.
Fortunately, for they are easier than what we had at BI, I normally took them very easy. No
pressure :)
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Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
Overall the courses at UF are practical with a lot of cases and small assignments that are group
based.
Xin: I secretly thought all the time that BI is practical to some extent… until I got here. I’d really
say, if BI is my definition of “practical”, I could not find an appropriate adjective for UF then.
Btw, last module, I had not one single close-book exam. They were all open book, open laptop,
open everything. How practical it can be more :)
Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a mix)?
Well, it depends. Finance classes are normally only lectures. Statistics courses the same, just with
more assignments and quizzes. The management courses on the other and made use of more cases
and group work.
How is the workload compared to that at BI?
The workload is relatively less compared to that at BI. Because of the 2-module arrangement,
every course has only 6-7 weeks, which requires 2 group work and/or personal work on average
plus some class quizzes.
How is the relationship between faculty and students?
Faculties are so nice and approachable. Sometimes we even felt sorry for them, because they do
everything for students, literally, everything. Don’t hesitate to ask any question or any favor, they
will help you.
What is the relationship between the students in the classroom?
Xin: Personally, I didn’t establish any “serious” relationship with classmates. I feel students are
more competitive, professional and stressed here. Exchange students stick together a lot even in
class.
Required Literature
 Is the literature in English?
Oh yeah.
 How do you estimate the level of the literature?
Practical, but not as much as PPT
 Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview?
Mostly for a broad overview
 Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures?
PPT is vital. Books are needed for assignments and perhaps exams.
Xin: I had terrible experience doing an exam without the textbook by my side. The last three
questions were like “answer the following questions according to question XX on page XX of the
book”. But this happened just once.
Exams
 What types of exams were you given?
Open-book equal-weigh close-book. All assignments, quizzes, tests, class participation, midterm
and final counts as a part of the final grade.
 What knowledge level was required to pass the exams?
I think they tend to teach more and expect less.
Other
 Do students have easy access to the library and it’s resources?
Bad news, they don’t have textbooks in library. But the libraries are AMAZING. They have a huge
variety of collections. And we can renew loans always.
 How is the access to the computers?
Well, in Hough Hall where we have all our classes, we don’t have access to public computers. But,
it doesn’t bother me a lot, because lots of classes require laptop themselves. Wireless covers
everywhere on campus.
 How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information?
Email, Sakai and E-learning are everything for information distribution between teachers and
students.
Description of Courses
Please list all the courses you are taking in the form below:
Just make it clear at the very beginning. All three of us are Msc in business&economics, major in
Finance, minor in free electives.
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Name and code of the course
Prerequisites, if any
Exam form
Course name:
FIN 6545 Fixed Income Security Valuation
FIN 6537 Derivative Securities
QMB 5304: Introduction to Managerial Statistics
QMB 6755 Managerial Quantitative Analysis I
QMB6756 Managerial Quantitative Analysis II
ISM6423 Data Analysis & Decision Support
MAR6157 International Marketing
REE6045 Introduction to Real Estate
REE6395 Investment property analysis
ENT6946 Entrepreneurial Consulting Project
QMB 5305 Advanced Managerial Statistics
Man6511 Production management problems
Man6581 Project management
Prereq.
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
RE6045
None
None
None
None
Exam
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Presentation
Written
Written
Written
Approved as
Advanced Finance
Advanced Finance
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Free Elective
Please fill in all the courses you have taken
 Comments: Relevance, Difficult/easy, Practical/theoretical, Enrolment problems
Xin: Well, Fixed Income and Derivatives are the only two courses we could get approved as
Advanced Finance courses. And it was the very reason why we decided to transfer from Msc in
Financial Economics to Msc in Business and Economics major in Finance. Fixed Income was Ok,
David is cute to some extent. Derivatives made me miss Charlotte too much. They are both not
hard. Except these two finance courses, I took four quantitative analysis courses. I love Managerial
Quantitative Analysis. Just make sure you do every assignment if you are taking them, very
helpful for quizzes and exams. These quantitative courses are not hard as well.
Marius: The real estate courses gave great insight to the American real estate market and valuation
of investments opportunities. These courses are relevant to my Master Thesis and are more
theoretical. The Management courses were practical and fairly easy, most of it was common sense
and the exams are with one cheat sheet allowed.
Any other experiences:
Xin: For Chinese students, there is a Chinese Student Union at UF, called FACSS.
http://uflchina.org/
Do download and read their survival guide. It is very useful. And sign up the picking-up
system. Xi and I got great help from them on our first days here. They pretty much drove us
around to find apartments, buy necessities and everything.
For Christian, there are many churches in Gainesville. I attended Westside Baptist Church. It’s
a typical American church. I love it in general and made a lot of friends there. You can contact
Al George to pick you up for Sunday morning service 352-514-4916. He is an angel.
http://www.westsidebaptist.org/templates/cuswestsidebc/default.asp?id=32671
There are many Christian groups on campus as well. I joined one of Crusade small groups and
had GREAT friends there. I enjoyed them so much.
http://www.ufcampuscrusade.com/
Names and e-mails:
Feel free to contact us by email. It might be even easier to set up meetings. Just let us know. We will
try to help:) Wish you all the best~
The last word: GO GATORS!!!!!!!!!!
Xin Jian: xinjian.bi@gmail.com
Xi Nan: xi.nan@student.bi.no
Marius Wold: bmfw@online.no