IT University Travel Report
Dear Student, this is a template – the aim is to inspire other students who may wish to follow in your
footsteps. You are free to give your report the shape you want and to go beyond the questions, as
long as you cover the information asked for below. You are also very welcome to include pictures and
contact information – but you need not. Remember that the report will be made available on the
intranet.
Host University: Georgia Institute of Technology
Study Programme at IT University: Digital Media and Design
Exchange Agreement or Study Abroad: Exchange Agreement
Courses studied abroad: CS 1315: Introduction to Media Computation, LCC 2720: Principles of Visual
Design, LCC 2730: Constructing the Moving Image & LCC 3705: Principles of Information Design
Exchange Period: semester (autumn/spring): Autumn
Year: 2013
Your stay abroad
What was it like to study at [the university] (including choice of courses, academic level, social life
at campus)?
Campus itself was brilliant. There were so many facilities and always someone to seek out for help if
needed. However, choosing courses was one big mess and that process could use some adjustments.
ITU approved certain classes and for that I was thankful, because without that I wouldn’t have known
what classes to have chosen. This was mainly because you get thrown right into choosing classes on
your introduction day. One sits down with a counselor and then discusses what classes one is suited
for which can seem quite like mouthful since the descriptions of the various classes are very limited,
not to mention you only have a short amount of time to make your choices. (Be aware that there
might not be space in some of the classes and therefore is important to have a lot of classes
approved from ITU before going to Georgia Tech just to be on the safe side)
The academic level wasn’t much higher than the one found at ITU. I would actually claim that it was
lower, since the courses I had didn’t deal with a lot of theory or method for that matter. However,
the workload is bigger and more continuous throughout the entire semester. So there is always
something to hand in from the various courses. Not to mention that their grading system is very
different, so if one does well the entire semester it is almost impossible to fail if one does really bad
in a final exam. (They grade after assignments, participation, attendance, midterms and finals).
The social life on Georgia Tech was awesome. It is a very safe and nice environment and people are
generally really nice everywhere one goes. I quickly felt a part of campus even though I was only
there for 4 months. But that just says something about the atmosphere and the people going and
living on campus. It’s a nice place and there are always activities you can be a part of and since
Campus is so big it is almost impossible not to find people that share the same interests as you.
What was your initial motivation for going abroad and did your stay meet your expectations?
I’ve always wanted to study abroad to try something different and for future references. So going to
Georgia Tech was a golden opportunity and it lived up to very expectations. Going abroad was one of
the best decisions I’ve made and I’m so glad that I went. It was really a fulfilling experience and I
would gladly do it all over again if possible and now I honestly consider Georgia Tech as a second
home.
Please describe what you got out of your stay, both personally and academically, and how do you
expect it to contribute to your further studies?
Academically I learned a lot and it was very interesting to experience the American way of teaching,
since it is very different from how things work at ITU. Many of the teachers were very skilled and the
courses interesting. Because of that I feel like I bring back a lot of new knowledge that I otherwise
wouldn’t have encounter at ITU and I’m certain that it will be useful in my further studies.
Personally I gained a lot from studying abroad and I honestly think that I grew a lot during my stay. It
is hard to explain but studying in another country changes you, but in a good way. I also owe that to
all of the wonderful people that I went with and met during my stay. Without them it just wouldn’t
have been the same and they were a great support all along and I’m happy to say that I now have
connections to people all over the world. I plan on keeping these connections and maybe these
might turn into having an important value for my future education, but I’m happy enough just to
have gained a lot of friends.
Arranging your stay
Please give a short description of the process of arranging your stay:
Arranging my stay was not easy. I would describe it as: One hell of a mess. I had the idea that it
would be an easy process because ITU had done the exchange many times before, but that turned
out not to be the case. There was a lot of last minute and lacking information about the papers I had
to turn in and when. Not to mention that Georgia Tech demanded a serious health check that turned
out to be rather troublesome. However, even though the paperwork sometimes seemed endless, not
working and confusing there were always someone one could turn to for help. That being both from
ITU’s and Georgia Tech’s side. When applying for an exchange at Georgia Tech one needs to be
aware that there is a lot to be done and it is stupid to push it into the future. Get as much done as
quickly as possible! There are a lot of deadlines during finals which only make it even harder to deal
with. However, remember that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that is all is worth it. Truth
is that the moment one is at Georgia Tech. All of the paper work is forgotten and one just enjoys the
time there.
What resources did you find helpful in planning your stay and which people did you use (if any)?
If there were any type of problems I often turned to the people from ITU that was going to Georgia
Tech with me and if they didn’t have a solution I wrote our advisor at Georgia Tech (Charlie
Hammons). He was always very helpful and fast with his answers and if he couldn’t help, he would
make sure that one received help from someone else that knew more of the subject in question.
How did you arrange practicalities such as accommodation?
ITU recommended a dorm called I-House a place where previous students had lived. That was
actually also the only place I was allowed to apply for and luckily I got in. (If I hadn’t received a spot in
I-House, then I would have been allowed to apply for other housing). (Ps. This place is awesome! Go
live there if possible)
Expenses and Financing
Please comment on expenses connected to your stay abroad
First there were all of the expenses for the preparations: Visa, vaccines, TOEFL test, insurance, etc.
Then there was housing, which was around 22.000 kr. and since I was lucky enough to receive
“udlandsstipendium”, most of my tuition got taken care of for me.
But be prepared. It is very expensive, so one needs to have the funds to go or be prepared to take a
loan.
Did you apply for scholarships and would you recommend any ones in particular?
I applied but wasn’t lucky enough to receive any.
Recommendations for other students:
I warmly recommend going to Georgia Tech and if possible try to get into I-House. That was a great
place to live and one of the reasons why my stay turned out to be such a wonderful experience. On
the other hand I think it is important to be aware of the fact that there is a lot of paperwork and that
it often is one big mess, but that it is all worth it in the end!
However, there is one thing that I regret about going to Georgia Tech. I chose only to stay for one
semester and I soon realized that it was a big mistake, but the moment one is on the other side of
the ocean it is almost impossible to extend the stay. So if you are brave and dare to take a chance I
would recommend staying at Georgia Tech for a year instead of just a half. I wasn’t brave when I
made my decision and that is a regret that I have to deal with now.