Exchange Report
Name of the University: University of Florida
Exchange semester: Fall, 2012
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
1.
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Describe the school and its surroundings – very short
University of Florida (UF) is located in Gainesville, Florida. It is a small
town in north Florida where most of the inhabitants are students. Gainesville has about 125’000
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 (which you get from
the school free of charge), you can use buses, swimming pools, tennis courses, studios and more
for free.
Current faculty divisions and special areas.
The faculty of the Graduate School of Business is located in Hough Hall (Pronounced: Huff, like
in Hufflepuff). This is a new building with great facilities.
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. However, you may choose to do 2 courses in module 1 and 4 in module 2 or vice versa
depending on your preferences.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
 When did you receive the information package from the University?
 The application process lasted almost 3 months after we got nominated by BI. Expect a lot of
bureaucracy – selecting and getting courses approved, filling out application forms, getting health
insurance, immunization form (this takes time if you do not have your immunization card at hand)
and then waiting for the study contract. As a Norwegian citizen, you do not need to apply for an
international drivers license. However, as most clubs, bars and other institutions will only accept
your passport as a valid ID, ordering an American ID at the UFL campus when you arrive is
strongly advised. The VISA application process is very meticulous so we would suggest to book
an appointment as soon as possible at the American Embassy in Oslo, and to expect waiting in line
at least 2 hours. You should also be aware that even with scheduling an emergency appointment,
which students can do to speed up the process, it often take 1-2 weeks from you book it until you
get an appointment. After being at the Embassy it also takes approximately 1 week before you get
the visa in the mail. There are plenty of documents that need to be in order, so double check that
you have everything before going; both to the Embassy and to UF. UFL has only one International
Office, but our contact, Lyn Straka answered both E-mails and phone calls in a timely manor. Be
patient!
 Any difficulties?
Communication between Norway and USA can take a long time, be patient and start early!
Visa Procedure and travel experiences
 What problems, if any did you encounter?
There was a lot of paperwork involved in this process, but no major problems. The University of
Florida will provide with all the necessary information, or direct you to where you can find it. Just
make sure to read what you are told, and prepare all paperwork needed in good time before you
depart. In addition, it is important not to delay the process of acquiring the student visa, since the
summer-months may be a little busy at the embassy, and you need to book an appointment there.

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

How did you order your ticket – any problems?
You could use www.travellink.no or www.nordmann.no The round trip ticket cost us around
5000-9000NOK per person from Oslo to Gainesville.
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date – introductory week
We arrived on the 18th. The first mandatory orientation started on Aug 19 th. They did a great job
giving exchange students all the information we needed to know. During the first week we got to
meet a lot of exchange students.
 First day of the semester?
The semester started on august 22rd.
 Last day of classes?
This depends on which classes you choose. This semester there were no exams after the 16th. Some
students finished the 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 the assignments and quizzes you have
already prepared for. Most of the work is during the semester.
 Any special events?
No.
Reception
 How was the reception at the school?
The reception was very good. There are a few mandatory information meetings the first week, and
there they provide all the necessary information.
 Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival?
They have a lot of experience in dealing with international students, and they are well prepared for
all different needs you may have. There is an international office you can go if any problems occur.
Remember to attend all meetings the school arranges, as it may be problematic if you miss some of
the practical information they offer in these meetings.
 Did the school’s students participate in the reception of the exchange students?
There is an excellent buddy arrangement called NaviGators. Basically, all international students
that apply get assigned an American buddy that will help you settle in. This is great, especially in
the beginning as you may have a lot of questions, and we highly recommend that you sign up.
They also arrange a lot of different events throughout the entire semester, which obviously is smart
to attend, especially in the beginning, so that you get to meet the people you will be studying and
hanging out with for the rest of the semester. Most people that sign up to be a NaviGator are
prepared to help you throughout the school year, and not only the two first weeks as in the Buddy
program at BI. Several internationals got great help from their NaviGators when it came to pick-up
from airports, grocery shopping, and showing them around.
Housing
 Did you have housing at your disposal or did you have to find your own housing?
You can apply for on-campus housing (Weaver Hall), which has a great location. However the
standard is not the best, and there is also a lot of freshmens there, meaning a lot of younger people.
But at the other hand it is always a lot of internationals that choose to live there, so it is very social.
I opted to search for private arrangements and found many options. In my case I needed to book a
room before I left Norway due to the fact that short term leases (one-semester) are hard to come by
and the situation started to become scarce around end July/start August. I recommend finding a
room before you get there. I stayed at the Enclave
(http://www.enclaveuf.com/EnclaveFL/Index.aspx) and payed $724 per month per head
everything included. I found out later that this actually was quite expensive and that it was possible
to find rooms for down to $550. Other places I can recommend are Gainesville Place (right next to
the Enclave), The Estates and Lexington Crossing. Be aware that it takes the bus approximately 20
minutes to and from the school from these locations. But the busses are free for students, and all of
these places have great facilities like pools, gyms, tennis courts and so on. We definitely
recommend the Enclave, which has the best standard of these places, but search for other options if
you would like to live closer to campus. Be active on the Facebook page for exchange students. It
is also smart to either contact your NaviGator or someone else local if you consider other
locations, to get advice regarding safety. Gainesville is a small town, but there are still a lot of
locations that would not be the best place to live. Feel free to contact me, if you wonder about a
particular area.
 What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
The school offer on-campus housing, but if you choose privately you will have to do the house
searching on your own.
 Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
Try the Facebook page!
Or try this page for an overview over possible locations, but do not trust all the information on the
page:
http://www.gainesville-rent.com/quickref.asp
Costs
 Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books, food, etc.
The books are often more expensive than in Norway, so you should check amazon, if there are
online texts available or if you can rent a book at school for one semester. This may save you a lot
of money. Additionally, there are possibilities for buying used books, and selling your book back
to the bookstore at the end of the semester (it may be difficult to get a fair price from them). In
some of my classes I didn’t need to buy the books, but relied on class material.
I pay $724 for the apartment, which includes utilities and internet.
The average American student has questionable cooking skills, and the amount of restaurants
available reflects their eating habits. It is cheaper than in Norway, but you are likely to eat out
more than you do in Oslo. A lunch on campus is likely to be around $6-7. A dinner, depending on
where you choose to dine, is maybe around $10-15 plus tips. Obviously, you can find both cheaper
and more expensive places, so this would be an average. Tips are by the way 10-20%, and are used
for everything: taxis, bartenders, hairdressers and so on.
You can take the bus for free with showing your GatorOne Card (That you get from the school) to
the driver. Also, you can buy a car. If you want to go somewhere, like Orlando, Miami, Tampa,
Key West renting a car is a good choice. Use Norwegian websites like www.e-leiebil.no, which is
way cheaper than contacting the rental companies directly, mostly due to insurance costs. Also; it
is a lot cheaper to rent if the driver is 25 years old. You always have to pay extra for GPS, so if
you plan to travel a lot, and anyways need a GPS back in Norway, it might be a good investment to
just buy it early in the semester. A phone with data and map may also work good.
Taxis are fairly cheap, but in Gainesville they often look really shabby, so we would recommend
taking the bus or get someone to drive you.
You could create an American account and get an American phone number when you get there.
Wells Fargo has a bank on campus, they are used to dealing with students so this may be a good
choice. Other banks may be slower as they are not as experienced with an international clientele.
AT&T and T- Mobile are the most common mobile companies to use. I paid $50 per month for
unlimited talk and data. There is an app called “TransLoc” where you could track the busses. This
is very convenient since the busses often don’t follow their schedules.
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 Humberstone 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?

By appointment or drop in. Much like BI’s international office.
Do you receive all relevant information?
You receive all relevant information from Lyn Straka or one of her assistants per e-mail.
Exchange promotion
 What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Norway at your exchange
university?
I participated in an international exchange conference hosted by NaviGators and American
students working with exchange in collaboration with the International Office. We had a 3 min
presentation about Norway, Oslo and BI. Around 15 countries participated and the event ended
with pizza and mingling. The experience was very rewarding, and many students wanted to learn
about Norway and BI. I have made a lot of international and American friends, hosted parties and
dinners resulting in many conversations about Norway and BI. Both Americans and Internationals
are very friendly and easy to talk to. Be social!
Social Activities
 How is your relationship with other students?
As noted, most Americans are very friendly, and easy to get to know. Also the International
students tend to cluster together due to the similarities of the life situation. So there is a lot of
potential to get to know both internationals and Americans.
 How is the relationship among the exchange students?
This is very good – the Navigators bring all exchange students together through all the events they
organize. We met people from all over the world.

Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students part of it?
You will get bombarded with flyers for many different organizations on Campus, but since I am
only here for one semester – I did not participate in any organizations.
 Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
Yes – we refer you to the Navigators and their Facebook page.
 How do you like it at the school?
UFL is like a college you would see in an American movie. It is very different from BI, with huge
sports facilities (the football stadium takes 90 000 spectators (!)), many buildings, food courts and
fraternities and sororities. Hough Hall (“Huff Hall”), where I had all of our lectures is a state of the
art building with nice classrooms and study rooms, printers and a small cafe. Right across the
street, you can find one of the libraries and restaurants – perfect for relaxation and studying for
exams.
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.
 How are the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
Americans are friendly, and since there is not much of a language barrier, you make your own
obstacles. Travelling is also easy, and you will meet a lot of like-minded international students that
are ready to travel, so this should not be a problem.
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?
You will have a realization one day here that you are in a truly international environment. When
having dinner there may easily be 7 to 10 different nationalities. This is likely to change our
perspective on countries and the people there.
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How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
All we have ever heard is that international experience is positive, and we have no reason to alter
that belief now. We think this gives us an extra edge compared to our peers back in Norway that
chose not to go on exchange. When going abroad you venture out of your comfort zone and
experience something new almost every day. It is not difficult to formulate some positive
arguments to a potential employer as to why this is a good thing. Also, the language training is an
additional advantage.
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
The Teaching situation
 In which language are the courses taught? Any problems?
All courses are taught in English. Unless your English skills are extremely poor, you should not
have any problems with following the lectures.
 How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI?
Overall level needed to get an A or B is much lower. Also the curriculum is less advanced in most
of the graduate courses. Depending on the courses you choose you will have quizzes, assignments,
cases, article summaries, term papers and presentation in addition to 1 or 2 final exams per course
per module. Often participation is mandatory and graded. Check course descriptions at UFL for an
idea about the workload. Again it varies significantly from course to course.
 Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
Courses are very practical with emphasis on group work and own experiences.
 Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a mix)?
In all our classes the professors has used a mix.
 How is the workload compared to that at BI?
The workload is heavier than at BI when it comes to the number of things you have to do, but not
overwhelming. In my case, module 2 was heavier than module 1. It is kind of like going back to
High School workload wise: since you often have homework that you are supposed to have done
for each class, and several tests and assignments in addition. But the assignments are often easier
than they would be at BI, and it is uncommon for Americans to spend weekends at school unless it
is finals week; this is a major difference from BI.
 How is the relationship between faculty and students?
Faculties are in general approaching and welcoming, but remember that America is a more formal
culture than Norway, so address the professors accordingly, both in person and in mail/phone. Do
not hesitate to contact them for whatever reason/question you may have.
 What is the relationship between the students in the classroom?
The classes are small, the number of students in ours varied from 15-60. In some courses, you can
choose your own group, in others you get randomly assigned. The students are used to courses that
are made up of both American and International students and it is no problem to get along and
make new friends. Be welcoming, understanding and pull your weight in the group and everything
will work out smoothly.
Required Literature
 Is the literature in English?
Yes. But as the literature at BI are too, this is not a major transition.
 How do you estimate the level of the literature?
The level of the literature at UF is easier than the level of the graduate literature used at BI. But
they also have a different approach as they use cases and practical discussion much more.
 Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview?
Mostly for a broad overview, but it depends on which course you attend.
 Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures?
The powerpoints provided by the teachers and the lecture notes itself are the most vital resources
for the exam. But this is all based on the books, so we would recommend studying both. But again
it depends on which course you take. And the teacher will provide this information for each course.
Exams
 What types of exams were you given?
Take homes, or 1-3 hours in-class-exams. On several of the in-class you are allowed some sort of
cheat-sheet. But in general: 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?
The exams are usually not very hard (at least compared to BI), and it takes a lot for a teacher to fail
you. Of course you would have to study for them, but because of the assignments and quizzes
throughout the module, you are “forced” to learn continuously, and usually have a good foundation
for taking the exams.
Other
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

Do students have easy access to the library and its resources?
Yes, both online and physically. “Library West” is near Hough and is a great place to study.
How is the access to the computers?
In Hough Hall there is no access to public computers, but there are some at the library. There they
also have scanners if you need it. The wireless covers all of campus, and in Hough the graduate
students have free printing. Most students use their own laptops.
How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information?
Email, Sakai and E-learning are the main distribution channel for information between teachers
and students.
Description of Courses
Please list all the courses you are taking in the form below:
I`m in the Msc in Business & Economics, with a major in Finance at BI. All courses were free
electives at UF.
Course name:
GEB 5215: Professional Communication
GEB 5212: Professional Writing
ECO 5715: Open Economy Macroeconomics
ECO 6409: Applied Game Theory
FIN 6465: Financial Statement Analysis
MAN 6447: Negotiation
QMB 5305: Advanced Managerial Statistics
Prereq.
None
None
ECP5702
ECP5702
FIN5439
None
QMB5304
Exam
Oral
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Written
Approved as
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
As Msc in Business & Economics, with a major Finance I was not allowed to take finance courses.
Besides some quantitative course I also choose a couple of soft skill courses as “Professional
Communication” and “Negotiation”. I found most of the courses interesting and useful. Most
courses require continually work during the semester.
Any other experiences:
The school has two nice gyms where they have: standard gym facilities group classes, small group
training and different courses. The gyms are also included in the tuition so they are free. StudentRec is
located at school which is very convenient but the standard is not the best here. It is sufficient tough.
But SouthWest (located between campus and the Enclave) is brand new, and it is amazing if you enjoy
working out! They even have an indoor track. The school offers courses in everything you can imagine:
bartending, horseback riding, making music, IT, ceramics and so on. It is no problem finding activities
or sports team to join if that is of any interest to you. There are teams for any skill level and interest.
The exchange study is also an excellent opportunity to travel. I had no classes on Fridays and had long
weekends in for example Orlando and Miami. In the fall break I had 13 days off and went to Los
Angeles, Las Vegas and Grand Canyon. On my way to Gainesville I had 4 days in New York and on
my way back I will stay a couple of days in Washington.
NB: There are actually alligators on the school area!
(Don’t be afraid, there are just small cute ones)
Names and e-mails:
Feel free to contact me through international office! I will be glad to tell you more detailed about my
experiences and help you prepare for your journey.