Faculty of Actuarial Science and Insurance. Faculty of Management

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1 Name of the University: Sir John Cass Business School, City University Names of the students: Ole Kristian Sørlie Part of degree: BSc in Business and Economics (Siviløkonom) Exchange semester: Spring, 2010

2 I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL 1. Describe the school and its surroundings very short Cass Business School is situated in the Financial District in the City of London (the Square Mile). City University has its main base at Northampton Square, which is about ten minutes from Cass. Most of the lectures are held at City, but I usually went to Cass when studying on my own. The School consists of a high level of staff and students and Cass Undergraduate program is currently ranked 1 st London and 3 rd in the UK for Business. 2. Current faculty divisions and special areas. City University London Cass Business School Faculty of Actuarial Science and Insurance o Pensions o Social insurance o Life insurance o General insurance o Health insurance and long term care o Mortality and morbidity o Reliability, Maintenance and related topics o Dependability of Computer Based Systems Faculty of Finance o Financial Markets o Regulation and Finance o Money and Banking o Investment and Risk Management o Econometric Analysis o Shipping and Transportation o Real Estate Finance Faculty of Management o Strategy o Innovation and Entrepreneurship o Human Resource Management o Governance and Pay o E-Business o Knowledge Management o Professional Services o Voluntary Sector Management o Marketing and Innovation in Services o International Business School of Arts School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences School of Community and Health Sciences School of Informatics The City Law School School of Social Sciences

3 3. Number of students - graduate and undergraduate number of exchange students City University has in total students, whereof are undergraduate students, and are graduate students. There are 3000 students at Cass Business School, whereof 1300 are undergraduates. There were approximately 60 exchange students at Cass Business School. 4. Study structure The study structure is quite similar to the one at BI. However, the study structure at Cass might consist of a little more work during the semester than at BI. II PRACTICAL INFORMATION Information before you left When did you receive the information package from the University? I received the confirmation letter with some basic information on at Then, I received an information package by mail, some days afterwards. This contained a lot of information concerning the school, its surroundings, London, housing guide and so forth. Any difficulties? No difficulties at all. Visa Procedure and travel experiences What problems, if any did you encounter? I did not have any problems. Does the visa cost anything? You do not need a visa when being on exchange to London. This is due Norway s EEA membership. However, remember all of the important papers listed in the check-list you will receive from Cass. How did you order your ticket any problems? On my first flight to London, I ordered my plane ticket through SAS. This was due to their maximum weight limit (25 kg), which was essential when bringing a lot of luggage. There is also not that big a problem if you carry a little overweight. You may also consider travelling with British Airways, as they too have quite wide restrictions regarding maximum weight. When travelling home during Eastern, Ryanair was used due to their very cheap prices ( 4.99 one way). Also, it might be useful to know that it is very easy to travel from either airport to the place you are staying. When travelling with SAS or British Airways you will land on Heathrow. From Heathrow airport you can just take the tube into the city. When travelling with Ryanair going to Stansted you can just take the train to Liverpool Street Station, which is quite near the student halls and the university. The cost is approximately 19, but you might consider a bus ride to baker street station for only 2 instead. At Gatwick, used when travelling with Norwegian Airlines, the train went from Gatwick Airport to Victoria Underground Station, which is almost in the middle of the city. Anyway, the information packet that you will receive from Cass contains useful information on how to get from all the different airports to the university, with different transportation methods. Academic Calendar Arrival date introductory week I arrived at the student halls at Saturday, January 16 th. The international office hosted an exchange student orientation and welcome at January First day of the semester? The semester started in the week commencing January 25 th. Last day of classes? Last day of classes was at the 31 st of March before eastern. The Easter break lasted from 1 st of April until the 19 th of April. The classes after Easter break were revision week.

4 Examination period? 10 May 4 June Any special events? There are hosted many different events at Cass in the different modules, faculties etc. For instance, I attended to an educational visit at the London Stock Exchange. The visit was very interesting, where we learned about the history, how they work etc. Other visits were for example visits in different investment banks, Bank of England among others. It is highly recommended for prosperous exchange students. Reception How was the reception at the school? The International Office held a cheese and wine reception one of the first days of school where we had the opportunity to get to know other exchange students. Was the administration and faculty well prepared for your arrival? Yes, they were very well prepared. Did the school s students participate in the reception of the exchange students? The school s students did not participate in the reception of the exchange students, as there were many exchange students. Housing Did you have housing at your disposal or did you have to find your own housing? I applied for a residence in the University s student halls as soon as I received my confirmation letter. What support did you receive from the school in locating housing? I got support from the study abroad officer, who helped me in getting in touch with the people in the halls. Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students? You should apply for the student halls as fast as possible. It is important to pay attention to that the rent in the private market in London is usually more expensive compared to the prices of what is normal in Norway. By living in the student halls, you will also get to know a lot of the people you live with. It may be compared as to living in a so-called dorm in the American colleges. Costs Describe the most important expenses such as rent, books, food, etc. - In the student halls, rent is approximately 2200 a semester. - When it comes to books, you will be handed out lecture notes for all of your classes. Therefore, it will only be in some modules that you will have to buy books for the classes. - When using the tube, you buy an Oyster Card, which is a pay-as-you-go system. This is a card that you refill with money by the time. - The prices on food and drinks in the grocery stores were lower than in Norway. It is more common to eat some meals during the week out in different restaurants, due to that the prices are quite low compared to Norway. The International Office Is there an international office? Yes. It is situated at City University, in the Drysdale Building, 3 rd floor. Who is responsible for incoming exchange students? Gina Friedman Study Abroad Officer. She mainly take care of all your concerns before you arrive at Cass. Carly Tyson Study Abroad Officer. She is your main contact once you have arrived in London. How does the international office function? The international office helps you with any queries or problems that you might have. They are very helpful and kind. Do you receive all relevant information? The international office will send you all the information you need during the semester. I never felt that I did not get the information that I needed.

5 Exchange promotion What kind of activity did you take part in to promote exchange to Norway at your exchange university? Exchange students did not have a chance to promote exchange to Norway or BI as the school did not arrange for an international exchange fair or similar. Social Activities How is your relationship with other students? I got to know some other Norwegian and Swedish full-time students on both Undergraduate and Graduate level. You might also meet a lot of other people too, but as there usually were many exchange students in each class, you will know them the best. How is the relationship among the exchange students? Most of the exchange students were members of a group on Facebook. This made it easier to get to know one another, and also arrange for different activities and gatherings. The invitation to this group came early in December. Is there a student organization, and if so, are the exchange students part of it? There is a Student Union at City University, but the exchange students were not a part of the Union. We were invited and attended most of the social activities hosted by the union. Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students? There were hosted some pub nights by the students having responsibilities for the exchange students. Each exchange student was also given a buddy, who you could ask any question and socialize with. How do you like it at the school? All in all, the school is very good. Culture and Language Do you have any language problems with the faculty or other students? No. Something you might experience being different from the Norwegian Universities are of course the many minorities and a broader cultural background in the different classes. How are the possibilities to experience the country and the culture? The possibilities are very good. You have the chance to travel all over England and Scotland. Also, be aware that there is a high-speed train, Eurostar, going from London to different cities like Paris (2hrs), Brussels (2hrs), Amsterdam and so forth. You will have the chance to travel if you just prioritize your time right. 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? When being on exchange, you will learn very much about the British culture. Also, you will learn a lot about other cultures from the different exchange students as well. How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career possibilities? My language skills have rapidly become better through the semester. I have learned a lot about many other cultures, as well as getting friends from all over the world. The exchange experience has also given me important advantages concerning a stronger resume, expressing a more independent individual with a wider perspective.

6 III ACADEMIC INFORMATION The Teaching situation In which language are the courses taught? Any problems? All courses are taught in English. I personally did not encounter any problems. How would you evaluate the level of study in relationship to the level at BI? The level of study is similar to that at BI. Is the teaching primarily practical or theoretical? The teaching is primarily theoretical, although the different modules focus on giving interesting and real-life courseworks. Are the professors using cases, group work or lectures (or a mix)? Each module usually contain of one or two courseworks, or presentations, or a mid-term. You will experience having at least one task during the semester counting approximately 30% of you final mark. How is the workload compared to that at BI? The workload is more spread out the semester. This is making you work a little more through the semester, although the workload is at a fair level. How is the relationship between faculty and students? The relationship is usually based on classroom interaction. The professors are available by phone and , as well as they have different office hours when students can visit. What is the relationship between the students in the classroom? The students in the same module usually attend to the same type of study program. Naturally, one class might consist of students from different programs as some modules are electives. Required Literature Is the literature in English? Yes. How do you estimate the level of the literature? The level was similar to that at BI. Is the literature used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview? The literature is mostly used for detailed knowledge, while the lectures are used for the combination between a broad overview and a more detailed approach. Is exam based on the literature or on the lectures? The exams are primarily based on the lectures, but also on the literature. This depends on the course. Some courses rely on extensive case work, and in these courses, course works are not only a part of the grade, but a part of the exam as well. Exams What types of exams were you given? The exams were written exams consisting of 135 minutes, and 15 minutes of read time. No aids were given. What knowledge level was required to pass the exams? The level required to pass the exams were similar to the level at BI, 40% to pass. Other Do students have easy access to the library and it s resources? Students have easy access to the library and its resources. How is the access to the computers? The access might be limited. I preferred sitting in the Cass building as the access there was better. Anyhow, I mostly used my personal laptop. How is IT used in the teaching or as a distributor of information? Depending on what modules you are attending, IT is used in most classes for PowerPoint Presentations and courseworks. Also, if you are taking Financial Economics or similar modules, you might also have to use either the Bloomberg or Thomson Reuters datastreams. Using these systems gives you a very good experience, which is very useful, and a great advantage when applying for jobs later on.

7 Modules taken at Cass Business School: AS2109 Financial Economics Prerequisites: Statistics Comments: Interesting and very meaningful. Two courseworks: 30% of total grade. MS2103 Process Management Prerequisites: None Approved as: Common Comments: Group coursework: 30% of total grade. BS3207 Internation Human Resources Management Prerequisites: None Comments: Group coursework and two presentations, together 40% of total grade. BS2203 Financial Analysis Prerequisites: None Comments: Mid-term exam 30% of total grade. Very useful for fundamental stock analysis. Name and s: Name: Ole Kristian Sørlie / Please do not hesitate to contact me.