Name of the University: Auckland
Names of the students:
Exchange semester:
University of Technology (AUT)
Spring 2010
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
General Information about the School
The AUT City Campus (Wellesley) is located in the city centre of Auckland. You have access
to everything you need in only a short walking distance, and the campus is only 5 – 10
minutes away from sights such as Queen Street, the Viaduct Harbour, Albert Park and the
Auckland Domain.
You have access to almost everything you need at campus. This includes a bookstore, a food
court, several cafés, a gym, the student bar called Vesbar, and also health and student
services.
The university has many faculties whereas most of them have their own building either at
Wellesley Campus in the City or Akoronga Campus on North Shore. The Business School
building (WF Building) is located at the Wellesley Campus in a new modern building from
2005. Classes are in classrooms with a capacity of approximately 30-50 students. During class
the students sit at circular tables and the main focus is to have interactive classes. Students are
expected to contribute in class and to discuss subjects of interest openly with the members of
the table and the lecturer.
The Business School is one of the largest faculties at AUT with about 4 300 full-time students
whereas most of them are undergraduate students. The number of international students is
high due to study abroad students. As mentioned, AUT has in total a great number of different
faculties, something that gives countless options in education direction and area.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
I received an informal acceptance e-mail in August and the information package with the
formal acceptance letter arrived in November.
Roger Stokell, the exchange coordinator at AUT sent very useful information about insurance,
visa application, course enrolments and accommodation frequently through e-mail. He is very
helpful and approachable. His e-mail is: roger.stokell@aut.ac.nz
The AUT web page can be somewhat difficult to use as guidance when it comes to seeking
information about the school, but except from this I experienced no difficulties.
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
Information about the Study Visa was sent by Roger Stokell through e-mail. The application
and guidelines can be downloaded from:
http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/study/
The application, together with the passport and other appendices, had to be sent to the New
Zealand embassy in The Hague, Netherlands or to the embassy in London, UK. The visa was
100 EURO and the process was fairly easy but time consuming. Patrick experienced some
difficulties with his visa application and got it just in time for departure. It is advisable to start
this process as soon as possible.
Patrick got his travel ticket from Kilroy. They give you a student discount and are rather
helpful in setting up your travel route. Patrick was quite satisfied in terms of the good deal he
got. Fredrik ordered his ticket three weeks before departure and found cheaper tickets than
Kilroy online, we later discovered that this made the journey even longer so Kilroy is
probably worth the extra money. In addition, Kilroy gives you the opportunity to change your
travel route and dates. This is an advantage as our exam dates got changed and we finished
the semester almost two weeks before planned. To go on exchange gives you a great
opportunity to visit and experience other countries and cultures, and I recommend everyone to
travel before and after the exchange. The North Island has many great places to visit which
are reachable by car, car rental and hostels are cheap. We went on a lot of weekend trips with
our friends.
Academic Calendar
Fredrik’s arrival date was February 14th and Patrick’s was February 18th. The official
Orientation Week was 1st – 12th of March, but the International and Exchange orientation
started on the 18th of February with registration, lunch, etc.
The first day of semester was 1st of March and the last day of classes was 12 weeks later on
the 5th of June. The examination period was from 10th – 26th of June. There was a two-week
mid-semester break from the 2th of April – 17th of April.
The academic calendar can be downloaded from:
http://www.aut.ac.nz/about/news_and_information/academic_calendar/
Reception
Roger Stokell was given the details of my arrival and he explained all the options on arrival.
We both moved in to the student apartment right away. We took a shuttle bus there, but it can
be arranged that someone from AUT picks you up. We were to register at Roger Stokell’s
office as soon as possible to get our student ID cards and all other relevant information. You
need an insurance, it is easier to buy a New Zealand based insurance instead of a Norwegian
one. If you buy a Norwegian one be sure to bring all necessary policy documentation. The
international office at the Business School was well prepared for our arrival and they arranged
a business lunch for the exchange students alone at Skytower.
The International Office at AUT was also prepared with different events for International
Students. Some of the students at AUT were mentors, something that can be compared to
being a “fadder” back in Norway. However, their main task was to show us around campus,
give us necessary information and to be available for questions of any character. There was
hardly any social activities arranged, something that made it harder to get to know people
compared to in Norway where “fadderuka” makes this a lot easier. However, there were
several happenings on campus where you got the opportunity to meet new people. We met
most of our friends at WSA (student apartments).
Housing
We had to find our own housing but Roger sent an information e-mail about all my options
and recommendations. Both of us decided to stay at Wellesley Student Apartments (WSA) on
campus since it is convenient in terms of its location and there are many students living there
and it is very social. The standard is pretty good and usually five students share one apartment
with two bathrooms, one kitchen, one living room and individual bedrooms. I would gladly
recommend this accommodation alternative to other students. If you for some reason have any
problems with your flatmates you should complain to the reception. They will sort it out or
move you to another flat. Fredrik experienced problems with one of his flatmates, this got
sorted out after complaining. We would also like to mention that the rules and regulations at
WSA are strict and you will get fined for breaking them. For example noise ban after 2300
hours.
For more information about WSA:
http://www.aut.ac.nz/students/student_services/accommodation_services/aut_accommodation
/wellesley_student_apartments.htm
Costs
The rent at WSA is depending on the room size but the standard room is about 14 000 kr for
the whole semester. Be sure the room-size you pay for is the room you get. Fredrik had to pay
3000 kr more than Patrick for a smaller room.
Books were at the same price as in Norway but used books can be bought cheaper at Volume
One bookstore next to campus or through students (check the notice boards in the Business
Building). All other living and recreation expenses are less than in Norway, approximately 2/3
of the price.
The International Office
There is both an AUT International Office and an International Exchange Office at the
Business School. Roger Stokell from the Business School International Office is responsible
for incoming exchange students. Roger Stokell gave us most of the relevant information we
needed, however the AUT International Office (ISSS) is also very helpful.
Social Activities
It is very easy to meet and get to know other students through O-Week and especially through
International Student events. We got to know both local and international students from all
around the world. There is always something happening either at WSA or events hosted by
AuSM (Auckland Student Movement, the student organization at AUT). Some of the
employees at the international are very welcoming and including. WSA (student apartments)
are very social and this is where we met most of our friends. In addition they hosted a lot of
activities in the courtyard. The courtyard was very social and there was always something
going on, like ping pong, volleyball etc. We had the time of our lives in Auckland!
Culture and Language
We had hardly any problems with the language and we felt like my English developed and got
better for every day. We both learned a lot about the New Zealand and other countries
cultures, it was incredible interesting and informative.
The ISSS are having Noho Marea in the beginning of the semester, which is an event for
international students hosted by the Maoris at AUT. It was a lot of fun learning about the
Maori culture and meeting even more international students.
New Zealand is best experienced through road trips. It is easy to rent a car with fellow
students and drive around both the North and South island experiencing fantastic nature,
amazing people and a lot of activities such as bungee jumping (not Patrick), skydiving, white
and black water rafting etc. Travelling is cheap, but activities can be expensive.
Cultural and Social Effects from the Exchange Experience
We both learned a lot and got to admire the New Zealand culture. What I appreciate even
more is the cultural diversity of my new friends from both New Zealand and all around the
world. I learned a lot about myself and developed friendships for life. The whole exchange
experience was amazing and I think I can speak for both of us when I say we had the time of
our lives.
For future career possibilities an exchange will do nothing but improve your possibilities. It
shows that you are independent, and understand cultures and cultural bonds in an increasingly
international world. It will for sure give you competitive advantages when seeking a new job.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
The courses where taught in English. There was mostly easy to understand the professors
during lectures. However, when they used terminology related to some of the academic
topics, we had some challenges getting it. We experienced some difficulties with an Indian
teacher which had, in our opinion, a very old fashion way of teaching. When questioned he
got angry and upset and was not interested in discussing the matter. He also expressed openly
in class his attitude against students from the western world as lazy and spoiled. You get to
know your lecture and the same lecturer will grade you.
The overall level of study was similar to the level at BI, but at AUT we had mid- semester
assignments in all the courses in addition to online activities. The teaching methods were
different than what we were used to. Learning by doing was more valued at AUT, since group
based assignments, presentations and more real-life assignments were standard in most
courses. We experienced a closer and more interactive relationship with the lecturers, which
might have been a result of how the students were seated. That is, at round tables. The
students were more outgoing and more eager to participate in discussions than what we were
used to from BI. They were easy to get to know, very friendly and open minded.
The teaching is primarily theoretical, but with a more practical and real- life turn on all the
assignments. In most classes the professors used a mix between lectures, group work and
cases. Never the less the workload was heavier than what we were used to. Several
assignments, presentations and weekly online tasks made us work hard throughout the
semester.
Required Literature
All the literature was in English, but the level was similar to what we were used to. We had no
difficulties understanding it. The literature was used both for detailed knowledge and for a
broad overview, depending on the course. Still, the exams where primarily based on the
compulsorily books and articles.
Exams
The overall grade in each course was based on assignments, online tasks, presentations and
the final exam. In most cases the final exam counted for 50% of the grade. The grading
system was quite different, ranging from A- D. In order to pass you needed a C minus, which
was considered a pretty bad grade. The final exams differed from course to course; some were
case based while others were multiple choices. The knowledge level needed for the finals was
high in almost all the courses. However, a study guide handed out in the beginning of the
semester provided us with the necessary information about the knowledge required.
Other
All students have access to both the library and it’s resources. We had some difficulties with
navigating through the e-sources online, but the librarians were more than willing to help us.
The computers at AUT were very accessible, but during the times of assignment dues we
needed to book in advance. However, that was easily done online. IT was a very integrated
part of studying most of all since the information was accessible at AUTonline. We needed to
get updated every other day in order to check for any changes or mandatory information. The
other students were more familiar with all the possibilities of different softwares, which
showed during presentations and hand ins. All in all IT, computers and internet were highly
integrated in the studying.
Description of Courses, Fredrik:
Course name:
467958
Logistics and
Supply chain
management
366602
Management
Accounting
395001
Fundamentals
of
finance
Prereq.
Exam
Major at BI
None
Assignment
Economics
none
Written
Economics
none
Economics
Written
Approved as
Logistikk
Operativ økonomistyring
Finans
Human resources
none
Assignment and
Written
Economics
Organinsjonsledelse
psykologi og HRM
Description of Courses, Patrick:
Course name:
Prereq.
486662/10
Marketing Research
None
Economics of firm
&consumer behavior
None
Exam
Major at BI
Multiple choice
And written
economics
Written
economics
Approved as
Elective
MET 2360
Anvendt Mikro
Description of Courses, both Patrick and Fredrik:
Course name:
467958
Logistics and
Supply chain
management
366602
Management
Accounting
Prereq.
Exam
Major at BI
None
Assignment
Economics
none
Written
Economics
Approved as
Logistikk
Operativ økonomistyring
Names and e-mails:
If you want to know more feel free to email us at any time. We will be more than happy to answer any
questions.
Fredrik_frb@hotmail.com
Patricklyche@hotmail.com
Best Regards
Patrick Lyche and Fredrik Bråten.