Ask the College Student

[Vincent Vega]

Originally posted by achtung_girl


yeah I think that's what I was talking about! He said that we should buy his books and we could better study at home!Once I was at his lecture he was mostly reading out his book And the thing I'm mainly worrying about is, that all from earlier yrs got the chance to do those working sheets...!

btw, what are you doing 'later this year' ?

Love those who just try to get students buying their books. With those professors you learn more just doing the stuff on your own, especially if they have a script that is very detailed.
Those professors usually don't check whether you are present, will never learn your name, let alone bother asking, and don't care whether on student is listening.

It's depressing going to classes, sitting there and start thinking, "I could've made better use of my time." So far no professor actually made attendance mandatory which is very good because some classes were so boring it just ruined your day being there. Additionally, they put up the Power Point presentations on the internet afterwards, and there you will find everything that has been discussed in class.

Besides having professors we also have teachers doing the courses. The aim is to keep classes relatively small, hence you always have several teachers/professors offering those courses. And the students union is conducting surveys at the end of each semester where students evaluate their teachers and professors, so you can try to get into a course of one of the good ones.
However, as I'm trying to do as much in English as possible, my choices are, if existing, rather limited, and those courses often are quite full with about 50 to 80 students.

I really prefer the rather small seminars, where you get into better contact with the professor/teacher and can discuss the topics, like we did in political economy this semester. It's encouraging you to participate and time flies by very quickly. I also loved my corporate law courses because the teacher, himself a corporate lawyer, had a really great way of explaining law, and even better when he discussed actual cases. He speaks his mind and isn't shy to show that sometimes he is just puzzled by the stupidity that goes on.

I will go to the University of Montana for one semester, and either try to do an internship right after that or extending it for one more semester.
What's the actual difference between study abroad and exchange program? Basically, I'm just spending one (or maybe even two) semesters at the other University visiting the courses offered there. I guess it's rather an exchange program, since a student from Montana is offered to go here for one semester.

It's really cool as the University in Montana is offering such courses as economic development, environmental economics, world trade theory etc. And there is a ski area just thirty minutes by car.

[achtung_girl]

Originally posted by Vincent Vega
I really prefer the rather small seminars, where you get into better contact with the professor/teacher and can discuss the topics, like we did in political economy this semester. It's encouraging you to participate and time flies by very quickly. I also loved my corporate law courses because the teacher, himself a corporate lawyer, had a really great way of explaining law, and even better when he discussed actual cases. He speaks his mind and isn't shy to show that sometimes he is just puzzled by the stupidity that goes on.

At the moment I really doubt once having sth like that.

Anyway, good luck for montana! ...sounds great!

[Vincent Vega]

Hm, Cologne, RWTH Aachen, not exactly the typical candidates for small classes.

Thank you! Even though I got the place there I still have to do the normal application process and stuff which is just bureaucratic overkill, and had to do the Toefl test last Sunday. But it should definitely be worth it.

[sulawesigirl4]

Koln....mmm, happy memories of horribly fattening potato pancakes and applesauce.

[Irvine511]

Originally posted by sulawesigirl4
Koln....mmm, happy memories of horribly fattening potato pancakes and applesauce.

yes. and discotheques. what i remember about Koln was drinking and clubbing. and the most beautiful people in Germany all seem to live there.

[onebloodonelife]

Originally posted by Vincent Vega


I will go to the University of Montana for one semester, and either try to do an internship right after that or extending it for one more semester.
What's the actual difference between study abroad and exchange program? Basically, I'm just spending one (or maybe even two) semesters at the other University visiting the courses offered there. I guess it's rather an exchange program, since a student from Montana is offered to go here for one semester.

It's really cool as the University in Montana is offering such courses as economic development, environmental economics, world trade theory etc. And there is a ski area just thirty minutes by car.

Awesome! I suppose an exchange program is more common when students are in high school here, then the foreign student comes to live with the family and vice versa. They're basically the same though.

You're an economics major, I'm guessing?

[achtung_girl]

Originally posted by Irvine511




yes. and discotheques. what i remember about Koln was drinking and clubbing. and the most beautiful people in Germany all seem to live there.

lol.

[Vincent Vega]

Originally posted by onebloodonelife


Awesome! I suppose an exchange program is more common when students are in high school here, then the foreign student comes to live with the family and vice versa. They're basically the same though.

You're an economics major, I'm guessing?

Oh, those exchange programs usually are done when they are still normal students in school. As we don't have a high school system, especially students that go to the "Gymnasium" do those exchange programs and to get together with students about their age they will do so with high school students.

I'm going to live in a dorm which will be an interesting experience.

You are right, I'm currently studying Economics and will graduate a Bachelor of Arts in 2010.

I've not yet been to Koln.

[achtung_girl]

^oh economy is a BA at your school? I'm doing the same and my is B.sc.

[Vincent Vega]

I think that's because the RWTH is more focussing on research, and the FHW, being a University for Applied Science is more focussing on the practical side (at least they say they are )

But I think in the end the differences will be not much more than the title.

[anitram]

What's the actual difference between study abroad and exchange program?

In Canada, an exchange program is one that is made officially between two universities so that they both accept a certain number of students per term or per year. There is a direct reciprocity and the student pays fees to their home school but attends the school abroad.

Study abroad is something that is self-initiated.

[onebloodonelife]

Originally posted by Vincent Vega


Oh, those exchange programs usually are done when they are still normal students in school. As we don't have a high school system, especially students that go to the "Gymnasium" do those exchange programs and to get together with students about their age they will do so with high school students.

I'm going to live in a dorm which will be an interesting experience.

You are right, I'm currently studying Economics and will graduate a Bachelor of Arts in 2010.

I've not yet been to Koln.

I'm planning on studying abroad probably my junior year, somewhere in Europe.

Dorms really aren't that bad. Getting used to living with someone in a fairly small space is weird at first, but once you come to a sort of agreement about who does what and what is okay to do, it's easy. Food can sometimes be pretty bad though, depending on which dorm you live in.