Exchange Education in Norway Under the Erasmus+ Program

USTU first-year graduate student in Management, Nikita Degtev took part in the Erasmus+ Academic Mobility Program. From January to June 2019 he studied at the Nord University (Bodo, Norway). It became possible due to the agreement between the USTU and Nord University. Having returned, the participant shared his impressions and experience, highlighting some features that distinguish Norwegian Education from Russian Higher Education.

Here are the most important differences:

• “Emphasis on independence. We attended classes 2-3 days a week for 3-4 hours or even less. The University has a comfortable library which is a very popular place among Norwegian students: it was difficult to find a free place."
• "Group work. During the semester I had two groups of 3-4 students, we all prepared projects and revised for exams."
• "Less formal communication with the professors. Sometimes they wanted to know if the information was presented in an understandable manner and asked to say if something was unclear for us in the course of the lessons. It is also considered normal to ask the teacher to take a break."
• "No bells. The teacher himself decides when to take a break. Usually we took a break every 45 minutes of the lecture."
• "Guest lecturers. Experienced managers from the Oil and Gas Industry, such as the CEO of RN Nordic Oil, gave lectures frequently."
• "Examinations. In three of the four disciplines, our assessment was consisted of: 1. writing individual or group work - which made 40% of the final grade. 2. passing the exam at the computer or in writing in the presence of examiners - 60% of the final grade."

"Norway has a six-point grading system - from A to F. Thus, having received C for the written exam (60%), and A for group / individual work (40%), the final grade was B. In addition , during the semester we did additional tasks, which were an admission to the exam. The main part of the examination was held in the presence of examiners in large rooms (gyms). Each student had an individual table, and the examiners walked between the tables and monitored students so that they worked independently. It is important to say that if a student is caught in an attempt to write off (even if the phone just rings in his pocket), he is suspended from retake the discipline for two years. ”