Exchange Report
Name of the University: University of Florida (UF)
Exchange semester: Spring 2013
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
1.
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. 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, a huge gym, swimming pools, tennis courses, studios and more for free.
2.
Current faculty divisions and special areas.
The faculty of the Undergrad School of Business is located in Warrington, in the NE side of
campus.
3.
Number of students - graduate and undergraduate – number of exchange students
There is approximately 60 000 students in total at UF. There are over 100 exchange students from
all around the world!
4. Study structure
For Bachelors students the study structure is more or less similar to what you experience at BI. The
only difference is that you have a heavier workload during the semester with an average of 3 exams
(midterms and finals) per subject, and it is more common to have assignments and papers which also
count for given percent of the final grade. Although the workload throughout the semester is heavier,
the exams is usually easier, which makes the total workload feel a little less than what you´re used to at
BI.
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Information before you left
 When did you receive the information package from the University?
I received the entire information package from the University in the end of September.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
First of all start immediately after BI nominates you, the application process usually takes about
three months. Be aware there are a lot of pitfalls during the application process, which makes the
process quite time consuming.
Second if you don´t get all your paperwork (application forms) approved, you will not be able to
select electives and you might miss out on electives you want or need, because classes get filled
up.
Here´s what you have to prepare after the nomination has started:

Health/Travel insurance: as member of ECONA you will get a discount on health
insurance from ANSA, regular health insurance or travel insurance doesn´t cover your
stay, because of the length of traveling (between 2500 – 3000 NOK)

Immunization form: This was the most time consuming of all during my application
process, due to the fact that normal doctors don´t seem to have clue how to fill out this
form. Make sure you visit a doctor as soon as you get this form, and make him/her help
you fill it out. (It has to be filled out by a doctor and signed).

Financial statement: Which is a statement either from your/parents bank official or from
lånekassen which proves your financial status (That you have $8.500 available to pay
expenses during the semester)

Academic request form: It is just a simple form.

On campus housing: Because I traveled as the only Norwegian over to UF, I decided to
stay on campus. During the application process you need to fill out an interest form if you
are interested in staying at campus.

Student J1 visa: The VISA application process is very meticulous, so book an
appointment as soon as you receive documents from UF at the American Embassy in
Oslo, it often take 1-2 weeks from you book it until you get an appointment. Before going
to the embassy you would need to fill in a online form, and you also need to bring papers
received from the international office at UF. You will have to hand in your passport to the
embassy, and they will send the passport and VISA back within a week.
 Any difficulties?
Communication between Norway and USA could take a while, be patient and start early.
Your email will get filled with information mails from all the different offices at UF, but read each
mail carefully so you don´t miss any critical information.
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 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.

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?
The round trip ticket cost us around 5000-9000NOK per person from Oslo to Gainesville. I bought
a ticket from Oslo – Munich – Charlotte – Gainesville through supersaver.com But Norwegian has
a direct flight to Fort- Lauderdale which probably is the fastest if you rent a car. Public transport is
not the easiest way to get around in Florida.
Academic Calendar
 Arrival date – introductory week
We arrived on the 3th of January. The first mandatory orientation started on Jan 5h. 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 January 7th

Last day of classes?
This depends on which classes you choose. This semester there were no exams after May 3th .
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. Make sure you sign up for the Navigators
program which is very useful.

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 (you have to apply for the program before you leave) 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. Weaver Hall is
very social, due to the fact that a lot of the international students live there, which makes it a great
place to meet friends. However if you stay at Weaver Hall I recommend to apply for a single room,
internationals usually get paired up with American students, but many of my international friends
had quite challenging roommates, because most the American students that live in the dorm is
pretty weird. (Most American students live off-campus) I stayed at Weaver, and was quite satisfied
with my choice, easy, great location with walking distance to everything. But if you stay at
Weaver you definitely should get a meal plan. Cooking at Weaver is almost impossible and the
meal plan is very convenient.
I recommend fixing housing before you leave Norway, due the fact that most the best apartments
will get filled up.
If you would like to live off-campus I highly recommend the Estates it is a short bus ride (15
minutes from campus), but close to the gym at South-West and grocery store. The Estates has a
nice swimming pool, a nice small gym, great pool parties and a lot of Americans live there as well.
I will also recommend the Courtyards which probably has the best location when it comes to
campus and Mid-town (with all the students bars).
Most of my friends lived in Weaver and the Estates, make sure you check the distance from
apartment you want to live in before you book it. Most of the off-campus housing is located pretty
far from campus and Mid-town.

What support did you receive from the school in locating housing?
The school offers 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!
Costs
 Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books, food, etc.
School books: The books are often more expensive than in Norway, so you should check amazon.
All of the schoolbooks are available for rent, which is a lot cheaper than to buy them. I didn´t buy
any school books during my semester but used the Smokey notes, which is a summary of class
notes and school book notes which get published around a week before each exam. They cost
around $ 20 a piece, and is what all of the undergrads usually use to read for their exam. If you
read the Smokey Notes and attend class you will be able to get top grades.
Housing: I stayed on campus that cost approximately 12.000 NOK for the whole semester. The
Estates was between $550-700 for one bedroom, in a three-bedroom apartment.
Eating: I choose to buy a meal plan, which gives you indefinite access to the eating facilities on
campus. It is two different cafeterias, which had all sorts of food and beverages. Included in the
meal plan you also get credit which you can use on all the different restaurants on campus, such as
Sub-way, Burger King, Panda express and so on. Most of the internationals living in Weaver
choose to buy the meal plan which made it pretty social as well.
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.
Transport: You can take the bus for free with showing your GatorOne Card (That you get from
the school) 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 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)
 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. It was a competition, and of course as a representative for Norway and BI, I
made sure Norway won the competition
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 apart of it?
I joined an organization called TRiP, which organized different outdoor activities. All the trips
were really cheap, and you could do activities such as rock climbing, biking, hiking, snorkeling in
Key-West, sailing. I highly recommend signing up for these activities. I was also a part of finance
organization, which had different “celebrity” speakers coming in almost every week. I also played
on a soccer team for internationals. All the student activities is a great way to meet new friends
and also Americans. There is also a lot of other student organizations to join, don´t be afraid to
sign up as soon as you get there, the sooner the better. I

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. I was a great experience, and I would never be without it. The fact that
you meet people from all around the world gives the experience a unique dimension.
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.

How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities?
First of all by staying in an international environment such as UF, you will experience a type of
cultural awareness hard to get anywhere else in the world. The language training during your stay
gives you an advantage later in life as well. The international experience will also give you an
competitive advantage competing for jobs and interviews later in life.
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 undergraduate 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. Most of my undergrad courses eres also online courses which made it a lot easier if you
missed out on one class to catch up, because you also could see tapes of the class online.
 Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
Most courses on undergrad are mainly theoretical.

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. 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 usually smaller then in BI number of students in ours varied from 20-60. Due to
the fact that the lectures also is available online a lot of students chooses to watch it back home.
But for students attending class the relationship is pretty good.
Required Literature
 Is the literature in English?
Yes

How do you estimate the level of the literature?
The level of the literature at UF is about the same as in BI.

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 I would recommend studying both As said
before I went to class and read up on Smokey Notes, and that was all I needed to do get at an A or
a B.
Exams
 What types of exams were you given?
On average 3 exams in each class, usually 2 hours in-class-exams. 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
 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. It works pretty similar as itslearning on BI.
Description of Courses
Please list all the courses you are taking in the form below:
Course name:
ENT 3503
Principals of Entrepreneurship
Prereq.
None
Exam
Approved as
4 written, 2 papers
GEB 3373
International Business
None
3 written
EC0 3713
International Macroeconomics
principals of macro 3 written
ECO 3704
International Trade
principals mirco/macro 2 written, presentation
Principals of Entrepreneurship: Is a class which almost all the internationals take, it is pretty easy,
and a lot of fun actually. It is not to relevant, but not irrelevant either. It is a pretty theoreatical class.
International business: Was a pretty interesting class, with practical examples from how business
works, and how to do business all around the world. It was quite easy as well.
International macro: I highly recommend this class, if you are interested in macro. The professor.
was a great teacher, and provided a broad overview over the history of macro economics mixed in with
an overview over todays economic environment with relevant examples.
International trade: Very theoretical and boring class, the professor was from Nepal with quite poor
English skills which made the lectures boring and uninteresting. I do not recommend taking this class.
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. During spring break I went to Cancun, Mexico. I also
traveled to New Orleans during Super Bowl weekend and Mardi Gras, which was a great experience.
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.
Have a nice trip, and hope you enjoy your stay as much as I did