General & Specific Report Study Abroad

Transcription

1 General & Specific Report Study Abroad University of Stirling September till December Ires Verdoorn S rd year International Business

2 1. General report 1.1 Host institution and exact dates of semester abroad I studied one semester, from the 14 th of September until the 21 st of December 2015, at the University of Stirling in Scotland (United Kingdom). The language of instruction was English. 1.2 Contact with home faculty, preparation and journey After I heard that I was picked for a semester in Stirling, I immediately ed the university of Stirling regarding my stay. The staff at the exchange office in Stirling is very friendly and helpful, and they respond always very quickly to my s. This was very helpful as the deadline for enrollment was already two weeks after I heard that I was picked to go to Stirling. So, I had to arrange a lot in those two weeks. I received a welcome package from the university of Stirling with relevant information in order to prepare myself for my stay. I did not really had any contact with my home faculty regarding my stay in Stirling as they expect that you arrange your stay yourself with the receiving university. The only contact I had with my home faculty was regarding the approval of the courses I was planning to follow in Stirling. Try to choose your course as soon as possible so that you can arrange it with both universities in time. This will increase you chance of getting the courses that best fit you and make your study abroad more fun. I booked my flight for the 2 nd of September because me and my sister were going to travel through Scotland before my semester started. Scotland is such a beautiful country and I recommend everyone who is going a semester to Scotland to travel! You will be amazed by the wonderful places it has to offer. Moreover, it helped me to adjust better as you already learn the Scottish culture while traveling. I was able to pick up my keys at the 12 th of September and the introduction was on Sunday the 13 th of September. The introduction day consist of a introductory lecture of 1.5 hour and picking up your student card. But keep in mind that all new students and exchange students have to pick up their card. It took me almost 2.5 hours before I had my student card because there is a very long cue and you have to fill in some forms as well. I am glad that my sister was still with me to help me move into my accommodation and to help me with cleaning, grocery shopping etc. as it is a lot to do by yourself. The university of Stirling also arranges transport from the airport to the university. 1.3 Residence abroad You do not need a visa or a residence permit when you are from an EU country. However, I was only there for 4 months. I do not know whether you need a residence permit when you stay longer than 4 months. When you apply for your accommodation you have three options to choice from. Make sure you apply as soon as possible because it is a first come first served policy. I could choose from two accommodations on campus and one in town. Moreover, when you fill in your residence

3 application, you can fill in some preferences. For instance, my preference was living with only girls so the university gave me a flat with only female flat mates. My residence was on campus and it was only a 15 minute walk to the main building and the bus stop. You have everything you need on campus (e.g. a gym, grocery store, movie theater, a bar). However, the prices in the grocery store are higher compared to the big Tesco store located in the center of Stirling. It is only a 10 minute bus drive to the center, so I would recommend to do your (grocery) shopping in town because it will save you a lot of money. If you show your student card, a single bus ticket from the university to the city center or vice versa costs 1 pound and a return ticket costs 1.70 pound. I would certainly advise you to live on campus because you do not have to go with the bus every day (the busses can be very crowded). Moreover, it is a beautiful campus surrounded by a lot of nature and it is an experience you cannot get here in Holland. Everything is within reasonable distance and there is really a certain vide present on campus and it is great to be part of that. My residence was called Alexander court and I shared my flat with 6 other girls but had my own bedroom. It is an older flat and my room was tidy and small. The room included a bed (with sheets), a desk with chair, a wardrobe and my own sink. I shared the kitchen/living room, 2 toilets and 2 showers with my flat mates. Luckily, the cleaning ladies came every Friday to clean the flat. So you only need to clean your own room. You have to keep in mind that the kitchen does not contain any cutlery or cooking tools. However, there is a shop on campus that sells all kinds of second hand stuff for a good price. It is a bit disappointing that the university does not provide all the cutlery in the residences. Near my flat was an reception and also the laundromat. The reception is open 24/7 so if you have any problems there is always someone who can help you. Washing your cloths is quite expensive, 2.30 pounds per washing turn. Moreover, you have to buy a card for 2 pounds and the minimum amount you can put on your card is 5 pounds. The dryer costs 1 pound per turn. Note that the exchange rate will vary between 1.40 and 1.50 euro for 1 pound. So living in Scotland is quite expensive. The university has a lot to offer regarding clubs and sports. It ranges from theatre clubs to sport clubs. Some are free but most sport clubs requires a gym membership which costs 75 pounds for the semester. I advise you to become a member of a club because it allows you to meet new people which makes your time abroad a lot more fun. Going out in Stirling is different compared to Groningen because the pubs usually close around 23:00 or 00:00. The clubs can be open till 3 am depending on the day. Most pubs organize pub quizzes which is really fun to participate in. You can win fun prices and it is a good opportunity to hang out and meet new people. I really recommend to travel around the country if you have the time because the Scottish nature is so beautiful. At the introduction lecture, there is a married couple who gives a short presentation about the several trips they organize through the highlands of Scotland. However, I would recommend to arrange a group of people to make the trip yourself, so that you can make your own time schedule and list of places you want to visit. I travelled 2 weeks through Scotland with my sister before the semester started and it was amazing. Scotland is located in a triangle with Edinburgh and Glasgow and a trip to either city will take you around 50 minutes by train. It is definitely worth it to visit both cities but I liked Edinburgh a bit more. There is also a Christmas market around December in Edinburgh and is definitely worth visiting.

4 1.4 Grant I received an Erasmus scholarship which is almost 900 euro. Before you go you receive 70% of the grant. However, you have to fill in several forms and do a language test which is provided by Erasmus. Only after you have completed all the mandatory steps, you will receive the 70%. When you get back, you will receive the other 30% of the grant only after you filled in several forms, do the a language test, fill in a questionnaire and write this report. It is very helpful that we are getting a grant for our exchange but it is not even close to the costs I made. So you have to keep in mind that in order to enjoy your time abroad you need to have some savings. The total costs of my trip with my sister was around 700 euro s (and we really made sure that we did not spend too much). The rent of my room was almost 1600 pounds for the semester (Note that it is a lot more in euro s as 1 pound is on average 1.45 euro). Grocery shopping is on average 35 pounds per week (as the prices for groceries are higher as well). Alcohol is very expensive, so going out and clubbing will costs a lot of money as well. Luckily the plane tickets are not that expensive but I had to pay additional costs for my two suitcases. The total costs of a single ticket from Amsterdam to Glasgow including 2 suitcases is around 180 euro. Additional costs you make will be for the bus or train when you are planning to travel through the country during the semester. 1.5 Study The study load is relatively lower compared to Groningen. But I think that the lower study load is also the result of the courses I took. I had only 3 courses during the semester and they were relatively easy to understand. The courses are constructed the same way as they are in Groningen including lectures and tutorials. Obviously, all lectures, tutorials, assignments etc. are in English. Only one course required an exam at the end and my other two courses were 100% coursework. The study load in Groningen is higher because we have an exam for every course and therefore we have to study harder. It is also quite easy to obtain high grades in Stirling. If you just follow the guidelines, course literature and search for additional literature, the teacher will give you a 7 or 8 easily. The grading system in Stiling is different than the one used in Groningen. They use percentages and these are converted back in grades. Even though you receive a first in Stirling (which is the highest grade possible), it will only convert back to a 9 in Groningen. That is a downside. The semester starts the 14 th of September and ends the 21 st of December. The exam period is from the 10 th of December till the end of the semester. I was lucky that my only exam was scheduled on the first day of the exam period. Your exam results will be discussed by an exam board and therefore it will take longer for you to receive your grades. The second semester started on the 18 th of January, so you will have your grades back before the new semester starts in Stirling. There is a huge library which is open from 8 in the morning till 2 pm, and there is a study zone which is open 24/7. When you need any help with your assignments or you have any questions, you can go to the international office. They will help you with your assignments.

5 1.6 Other relevant information You have to keep in mind that the weather in Scotland is not always wonderful. It can be sunny, rainy or snowy within a few minutes. It can also be that your flight might be canceled due to the bad weather. Keep that in mind when planning your trip back home. I suggest to travel before or during the semester because the weather will be slightly better at the beginning of September and most people are leaving after the exams. Most importantly, try to arrange everything for school and trips as soon as possible. 1.7 Summary impression & Advice / suggestions I had an amazing time in Scotland. I met a lot of people by attending several activities and I advise you to do that too. You should also become a member of the exchange Facebook page. In that way, you will get to know people sooner and maybe meet some people from your home country as well. I really recommend you to travel around. Scotland is such a beautiful country. You will be amazed of all the beautiful places it has. Keep in mind that the sockets in the UK are different and that you have to buy a converter for it. Otherwise, you will not be able to charge your phone, laptop etc.

6 2. Specific report 1.Human Resource Management Techniques 1.1 Lectures and literature The course consists of 22 lectures, two times a week. Moreover, once a week you will have a seminar, 8 in total (which are basically the same as the tutorials given at my home university). All lectures and seminars are one hour. But the times they start and end are different. They usually start 5 minutes after the hour and usually end at the hour. So the academic 15 minutes I am used to in Groningen is not used in Stirling. The literature used consists of a main book and articles, which can all be found online. For each lecture, the course book shows which literature you should read in advance. Either book chapters or academic articles. However, I have to note that it is a bit unnecessary to read everything. The exam consists of writing three essays and in the last lecture the lecturer tells you which 6 topics are part of the exam. Additionally, he will explain per topic what he expects you to learn and gives two articles that you can use in order to prepare for the topics. However, some required articles can be useful for the essay you have to wright but that depends on the topic you choose. 1.2 Overview of lecture program Each lecture and seminar has its own topic as can be seen in the tables I included below. The preparation for seminars consists of reading a case and preparing the questions outlined in the case which will cost you around a hour (including reading and answering the questions). You have to work in teams but you can prepare alone because you have time in the seminar to discuss your findings with your group. You will be graded on your answers but also in the active participation during the seminar (i.e. commenting on the answers of other groups).

7 The course book shows what articles/book chapters you should read to prepare for the lecture. I included an image of the course book for lecture 9 so that you have an idea how much it is. Usually, the articles are +/- 30 pages and the chapters as well. 1.3 Contents Course book objective: this module provides a broad overview of the function of human resources management. It examines the range of practices and policies undertaken by a personnel department in different contexts. The changing role of human resource managers in a competitive business environment is analyzed and students are introduced to a variety of practical skills through role plays, discussing people management issues, and analyzing case studies. This module is assessed by: 50 % coursework and 50 % examination. The coursework component consists of writing one essay between 2,500-3,000 words, worth 30% of the overall mark, and seminar contribution, attendance and presentation worth 20% of the overall mark. The final examination is worth 50% of the overall mark.

8 1.4 Relevance to Groningen study program As I m studying International Business, I thought it would be a good idea to learn something about HRM as well. There is not really a comparable course in my study program and that is also the reason why I choose this course. 1.5 Study load The course consists of 22 hours of lectures and 8 hours of seminars. For reading, you can easily spend 4 to 7 hours per week, depending on the topic. You have to wright an essay and do your own research for the topic you choose. Doing research for my essay and writing it has costs me around 35 hours or more. The research is the hardest part which is very time consuming. Studying for the exam does not take a lot of time because you can just prepare 4 out of the 6 topics that will be on the exam (because on the exam you can choose which 3 topics you want to wright your essays about). If you prepare an essay for 4 topics and study them, you should be fine. The lecturer will tell you what you should include in your essays so it is just a matter of writing them and learning them by heart. It is less time consuming than studying all facts etc. that is required in Groningen. 1.6 Assessment in Groningen For my essay I got 71% (which is translated to a 9 in Groningen), my tutorial grade was 67% (which is translated to a 8 in Groningen) and for my exam I got 68% (which is also a 8 in Groningen). My overall grade is a 67% which is translated to a 8 in Groningen. I received 10 ECTS. 1.7 Overall impression Overall, the course was very structured and not that hard. If you just do what is expected of you and put some effort in your assignments and exam, you will easily get a high grade. It is very clear what is expected from you, also for the exam. However, I had some different expectations from the course but in the ends it was an interesting module and I am glad that I took it. Everyone is always happy to help you when you have any questions (even classmates). So, if you need any help just ask! And that is the same for the other modules as well.

9 2.Leaderhip & Management 1.1 Lectures and literature The course consists of 11 lectures, ones a week. Moreover, every two weeks you will have a seminar, 5 in total (which are basically the same as the tutorials given at my home university). All lectures and seminars are two hours. The literature used consists of a core textbook and additional academic articles, which all can be found online. The course book shows which topics are discussed each weak but does not specify which literature you should read for that. That is not so strange as you do not have an exam for this course but 100% coursework. The literature you use for your assignments depends on you. The main textbook and the academic articles are just there to provide you with a base for your assignments and from that you have to find your own articles/book chapters in order to complete your assignments. 1.2 Overview of lecture program Each lecture and seminar has its own topic as can be seen in the tables I included below. The preparation for seminars varies per week. The preparation will be around 2 hours or more depending on the topic of the week. Usually, they let you know in advance what you should prepare for each seminar.

10 1.3 Contents Course book objective: the main objective of this module is to enable students to understand the role, and the importance, of leadership in organizations. Leadership is one of the most problematic and important tasks in organizations and is considered a key attribute of successful organizations. This module will examine the changing nature of leadership and the challenges facing leaders in a rapidly-changing and increasingly global world. It will review the main theories and approaches to leadership and discuss how they can be related to different types of organizations and different organizational contexts. A key component of this modules seminar work will be that of identifying and practicing some of the core leadership skills. This module is assessed by: 100% Coursework. Assessment A (30%) is writing a critique of the following article: Indian business leadership: Broad mission and creative value by P Cappelli, H Singh, J Singh, M Useem The Leadership Quarterly, 2015 Elsevier. They will give you guidelines of what to include in your assignment. Moreover, they will provide you with the assessment form so you exactly know what to include in your assignment and how much each aspect counts:

11 Assessment B: (60%) Case Study Analysis: Jobs International (India) Ltd. Here, you will get a case and you have to answers a few questions (which I included below). You have to use academic articles, information from the lectures and from the main textbook in order to answer the questions. The more references you use (only if they add value), the higher you grade usually will be. Assessment C: (10%) Seminar exercise. We had to watch an interview with Mr. Ferguson during the lecture and had to make notes because you are not able to see it again. In the next seminar, you will have to form groups and can discuss the questions you have to answer about the interview. It is not a group mark and you will be assessed on your contribution. 1.4 Relevance to Groningen study program This course is actually a combination of courses I already had in my first and second year. The main topic of the case study (assessment B) is about cross-cultural management; how to adapt in a different culture and how to be considered of cultural differences. The course that is most comparable I would say is cross-cultural management. This course did not add real value to my study program.

12 1.5 Study load The course consists of 22 hours of lectures and 10 hours of seminars. The hours you spend on reading per week will vary as there is not really a required reading per lecture. You will spend most hours on finding appropriate literature for you assignments. For assessment A, I think I spend around 25 hours because I never had written a critique before and it is very hard to adhere to the word limit. I think I spend around 50+ hours for assessment B. Finding the right literature is the hardest part. Also, you can do the assignment on several ways and can include whatever you think is appropriate. Moreover, it is also 60% of your grade so you need to spend time on it in order to get a good grade. For assessment C I spend around 3 to 5 hours because it is only 10% and you can work together. Even though there is not an exam, you still need to put a lot of effort in finding articles and writing the assignments. 1.6 Assessment in Groningen I got 82% for assessment A (which is translated to a 9 in Groningen), 82% for assessment B (which is also a 9 in Groningen) and 100% for the seminar exercise (assessment C) (which is also a 9 in Groningen). My overall grade is a 84% which is translated to a 9 in Groningen. I received 10 ECTS. 1.7 Overall impression Overall, the course was very structured and not that hard. If you just do what is expected of you and put some effort in your assignments you will easily get a high grade. Most of the material is similar to what you already know. You can use your previous knowledge on Hofstede and the GLOBE project in answering your assignments. It is really easy to get a high grade for this course.

13 3.Multi-Channel Retail Marketing 1.1 Lectures and literature The course consists of 18 lectures, twice a week. Moreover, almost every week you will have a seminar, 7 in total (which are basically the same as the tutorials given at my home university). All lectures are one hour and all seminars are two hours. The literature used is not really mandatory but helps to explain the theory mentioned in the lecture better. Since this module is 100% coursework, there is not really a required reading list. There is an electronic list which contains books and academic articles but those are mainly used by students to help them better understand the lecture theory. You are mainly searching for your own literature that fits your group and individual assignment. All lectures were recorded so you are able to listen to them again. 1.2 Overview of lecture program Each lecture and seminar has its own topic / activity to do, which can be seen in the tables I included below. The preparation for seminars varies per week because you are working on a group assignment and some steps of the research take longer than others.

14 1.3 Contents Main objective course book: Multi-channel retailing is not a new concept; shop owners have expanded their reach through stalls at itinerant markets for centuries and in the USA Sears Roebuck issued its first catalogue almost 130 years ago. But there can be no doubt that the development of web-based shopping through the internet and apps on smartphones and tablets has made virtually every retailer into a multi-channel operation. In terms of today s jargon, this move to customer centricity and multiple touchpoints has also changed the way that manufacturers try to reach consumers and the ways in which manufacturer and retail brands are constructed and sold to the end-user. In what is a fast-moving field, the module aims to bring together a number of the current topics and trends in marketing to show how theory is expressed in the practices of modern retailers. In addition to the push marketing and brand-building undertaken by retailers, it considers the implications of the development of social media and ewom that can end in activities such as negative reviews online or changes to consumer behavior such as showrooming. It will also emphasize the problem that even radical change often has to take place within or alongside existing structures and thus show some of the compromises that managers have to make in trying to respond to changes in consumer behavior. In order to help students to gain a better understanding of these issues, the assessment for the module requires a piece of novel research that should consider the implications of a specified theoretical idea for the shopping experiences of a particular customer segment or consumer persona. Recent topics have included young men s need for touch or haptic feedback when buying a formal suit or student responses to different price points for printed and e-book versions of textbooks. The module is assessed by 100% coursework and consists of an group and individual assignment. For the group assignment: the group will undertake a small research project to investigate a topic of your own choice relating to multi-channel retail marketing. Your group will be expected to: Define a domain of interest and a specific persona which will provide the limit to your research activities; Choose a topic within the topic of multi-channel retailing (e.g. need to touch, price comparison or ordering practices for clothing) and construct a focused literature review outlining the key issues and any research lacunae;

15 Design and carry out a survey which will investigate the interactions between the defined persona and the research topic; Analyze the results, identify the significance of the findings and point out any limitations or future research opportunities; Submit a written report which covers all of the above process. The group assignment will count for 60% of your overall grade. For the individual assignment, you should: Identify a retail company or organization which operates within the same of domain of interest identified by your group; Apply the findings of the group research project to that company, including areas where the company might improve its activities and how it interacts with the relevant customer group; Submit a written report which covers all of these points. The individual assignment will count for 40% of your overall grade. 1.4 Relevance to Groningen study program There is not really a course I already took in Groningen that is similar to this module. The marketing course I had in my first year cannot be compared to this marketing course because this module has a whole different focus. 1.5 Study load The course consists of 18 hours of lectures and 14 hours of seminars. The hours you spend on reading per week will vary as there is not really a required reading list per lecture. You will spend most hours on finding appropriate literature for you assignments and working on your research and individual assignment. You have to make sure than when you have your research results from your group assignment you will start working on your individual assignment because the deadlines are one week apart and a week is not enough time to do your individual assignment. We spend around 80+ hours on the group assignment. Even though I was in a group of 5 girls, there are still some who do nothing, which is always the downside of working in a group. For the individual assignment, I also spend a lot of time on searching information but also writing the report will take a lot of time because you have a limited amount of words. That definitely makes is harder. I think I spend around 40+ hours on my individual assignment. Even though there is not an exam, you still need to put a lot of effort in finding articles and writing the assignments.

16 1.6 Assessment in Groningen I got 84% for the group assignment (which is translated to a 9 in Groningen). Even though it is a group assignment, you have to do a peer review twice and your grade will be changed according to the positive of negative feedback you received. And for the individual assignment, I got a 76% (which is also a 9 in Groningen). My overall grade is 83% which is translated to a 9 in Groningen. I received 10 ECTS. 1.7 Overall impression Overall, there was not really a good structure and no clear guidelines for the assignments. It was difficult to understand what is expected of you and when you asked for clarification it usually became more complicated. However, the teacher knows a lot and is always up to date about what is going on in his field. It is very interesting to listen to his lectures and if you need any help he will always try to help you. As I said before, there are no clear guidelines for the assignments which can be beneficial for some but I found it very hard. You really have to put some time and effort in both the assignments and start rather early otherwise you will have not enough time for your other courses.