Best Places To Study Business Abroad

The Best Places to Study Business Abroad (Continued)

Milan Cathedral

Milan Cathedral

 

Calcutta, India (IIM Calcutta)

“Food and living can be a very different experience for visiting students. Unlike many European schools it’s mandatory to live on campus, and only Indian cuisine is served in the canteens.Visiting students should be mindful of the differences in culture and language both on and off campus. Every student on IIM Calcutta campus can communicate in English, which may not be the case if you step off campus.”

– Srinivas Vadrevu

Milan, Italy (Bocconi University)

“For Italians, words are important…but body language even more so! Try to observe the gestures and movements of people while talking to get deeper insights on how they feel or what they are trying to say, and use this to help your own response.”

– Susanna Garancini

“Be ready for a tough workload. They will have a tough schedule every day and they will be required to read a lot of books, papers and articles to prepare the exams.”

– Susanna Garancini

St. Petersburg, Russia (St. Petersburg Graduate School of Management)

“The cultural difference in mentality influences the way things are done in the country, including the work pace in the university. A lot of Russians are used to doing things last moment – a point visiting students should to be aware of while joining the team with Russians.”

– Kseniia Kotelnikova

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore (National University Singapore)

“The grading system in Singapore is very different, in that a large percentage tends to be on projects, and final exams are usually about 40%, unlike the system in Europe where almost 100% is on the final exam. Furthermore, the classes in Singapore tend to go a lot more in-depth and the content is much more advanced, and is based on application, not just theory. Thus, we do a lot more (and more difficult) work throughout the semester, rather than just at the end.”

– Soh, Kok Yip

“Be careful when finding accommodation in Singapore: Housing in Singapore is notably expensive and its market is filled with limitations (for instance, many lease commitments have to be for a minimum period of six months). The process of touring apartments and finding roommates is stressful as it runs parallel to the block seminar and first classes. My advice would be to keep your options open. If you are able to negotiate appropriate prices and terms of stay with an agent, sharing an apartment may be a more economical option. However, there are other privately run student dormitories that provide convenient options for short-term stay as well.”

– Keita Saito

Barcelona's Torre Agbar at Night

Barcelona’s Torre Agbar at Night

Barcelona, Spain (ESADE Business School)

“In Barcelona (and Spain) our life and work schedules are different to many other European countries. For example, we like having our meals late – we have lunch at 2pm, and dinner at 9pm at the earliest. This, along with our passion for improvising can be a cultural shock for some of the foreigners, but you can easily get used to that.”

– Sergi Capdevila

“ESADE believes in a practice-oriented (rather than theory-oriented) teaching system. Be ready to uncover your critical thinking, work in several group projects the same time and present your achievements in public. Generally speaking, cooperation over competition between colleagues is encouraged.”

– Carlos Silván

Switzerland (University of St. Gallen)

“At St Gallen, punctuality and formality are very important. Don’t be late to classes or meetings, don’t discuss about extending rules, just accept them.”

– Nathalie Naglis

“Switzerland is an extremely diverse country. There are four official languages (German, French, Italian and Romansh) so students commonly speak one or two languages in addition to English. Switzerland is also very diverse in climate and geography as the country ranges from mountainous and glacial to flat and Mediterranean. Traveling through Switzerland can feel quite bizarre, as it is like being in four different countries at the same time.”

– Sara Montonen

United Kingdom (London School of Economics)

“Student Discounts are Everywhere: An awful lot of shops, restaurants, museums and cinemas in London offer a student discount (usually around 10%), so it’s always worth asking if there is a discount. You can purchase discount cards online via the student union for a small fee.”

– Amy Thompson

“Tube strikes and breakdowns are relatively common, and they lead to the whole of London practically going into gridlock. In retrospect, it was lucky that I lived within a 25-minute walk to school, so I was relatively unaffected. London is a very nice city to walk in as well, so living somewhere walkable ensures that you get to see a lot of the non-touristy sites.”

– Soh, Kok Yip

To learn more about what to expect in these countries — along with Canada, Chile, The Czech Republic, Germany, Hungrary, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, and Turkey – click on the Forbes link below.

DON’T MISS: 2013 INTERNATIONAL MBA RANKING

Source: Forbes

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