Independent University Newspaper
Copenhagen Business School

Popular searches:

Independent University Newspaper

Copenhagen Business School

From CBS to EBS: The road to becoming an EBSter

a group og friends - young people

My friends and me at a boat party during the Intro Week at EBS – and yes, of course I am sticking to Somersby even when studying abroad. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)

Go on exchange |   01. Nov 2021

portrait of woman

Helena Bendix-Nielsen

Blogger

I have studied at Copenhagen Business School for the past five years. Five years. Everything I know about being a student, studying, and attending university, I have learned at CBS since beginning my studies in 2016.

I know my preferred study methods. I love that attendance and participation are not mandatory. I know that I prefer to attend lectures over exercise classes. I know where to find the best study spots and group rooms across campus. I know that I prefer my classes to begin at 9:50 o’clock in the morning. I love that, in most cases, the final exam counts for 100% of my grade. I know that a scone from the canteen cures my sweet tooth in the afternoon.

Generally, I guess you could say that I am an incarnated CBSer.

Therefore, I knew it would be a challenge, albeit a good one, for me to go on exchange.

“Is everyone here? There are only 22 of you here, there are supposed to be 25”

The first time I experienced a culture shock at Estonian Business School, was at the Opening Ceremony of Intro Week. The exchange students were welcomed along with all the new first-year bachelor’s students, and before I knew it, chairs were sliding over the wooden floor as everybody stood up at the exact same time. A couple of seconds later, I found myself standing, slightly surprised, side by side with Estonians singing their national anthem, “Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm”.

young people from behind
New EBS students singing the National Anthem. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)
a computer and a mask
No on-campus classes? Study at one of the city’s cafés instead. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)

Studying at EBS, a small business school with only 1,500 students, is indeed different from studying at CBS. It is challenging me on nearly all my preferences, as well as my knowledge of the university culture, how to attend university and be a student.

While I have turned my life upside down, leaving my daily life in Copenhagen behind, my study environment has changed remarkably little. Due to the covid pandemic and the situation in Estonia, courses at EBS are taught online, on-campus or as a hybrid version. Until now, I have been unfortunate enough to have had only online teaching, and as a result, I have spent a lot of time in front of my computer, sitting on an uncomfortable plastic chair for hours and hours at a time.

Whilst my environment has been similar, the schedule, teaching style and requirements, however, differ greatly from what I am used to.

Party with pupple ligth
Intro Week party at LAEV. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)
two young students and a Teddy bear
Me and my friend Alisa with the school Mascot. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)

At EBS, my courses are session-based, meaning they do not run throughout the entire semester. Thus, I have already finished two courses, whereas five of them have not even begun yet. My classes are scheduled quite randomly, so I usually have one or two days of classes followed by a week or two off.

The teaching style is much more informal and intimate due to the small classes of approx. 25 students I attend, and I had to get used to the fact that the teachers here actually know my name. I have also experienced a teacher waiting for everyone to enter the zoom meeting before beginning the class, which I found rather odd – imagine a lecturer at CBS waiting for all 100+ students to show up at the auditorium before saying a word. I cannot imagine that ever happening, not in the smaller exercise classes either.

The course requirements and activities were another thing I had to wrap my head around at first. Instead of determining the final grade based on an exam, here, the grade is calculated on the basis of your performance in various course activities. Those activities can be discussions in the Canvas course management system, case studies, presentations, progress tests, and final papers, and it is also not uncommon for attendance and participation to count for 20% of your final grade.

While I find myself not being too challenged by the academic level, I am indeed being challenged by the workload inherent in completing the many tasks and projects on time.

However, I must admit that this way of studying is growing on me, as I am forced to keep up with the curriculum to complete the activities in time. As it turns out, I do, in fact, prefer not to just push the curriculum in front of me, ultimately having to go through it all during the already stressful exam period. Who would have guessed?

nice cup of coffee
Coffee is cheap in Tallinn, making it rather affordable to study at cafés. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)
student going upstairs
The Estonian Business School is in a 4-story building, so we are used to climbing stairs by now. (Photo: Helena Bendix-Nielsen)

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

From CBS to EBS: The road to becoming an EBSterby

  • News

    Layoffs break the crucial trust between organisation and employee

    CBS is laying off a number of employees soon, which will affect our university in different ways. When employees are fired without having done anything wrong, it shatters the trust between the organisation and employees, while also taking a toll on productivity, according to a CBS expert. Layoffs also affect the ‘survivors’, who are forced to adapt to a changed workload and the loss of cherished colleagues.

  • News

    Here to help – at the touch of a button and at Campus Desk

    Exam anxiety? Lost student card? I’ve wedged my car between a Fiat 500 and a lamp post, can you help? You never know what you’ll be asked next. But that’s just how the Campus Desk team like it. And if they can’t fix your problem, they’ll know someone who can. CBS WIRE asked the team about the whole range of topics they advice on every day.

  • News

    Why so sudden? The CBS financial crisis explained

    Employees and union representatives have posed many questions in the wake of the 17 August announcement of a firing round. In this interview, University Director Arnold Boon explains how Senior Management has been working with the budget and a change of financial strategy since the fall of 2022, and why layoffs are now necessary.

  • Illustration: Ida Eriksen

    News

    Here’s what you need to know about the master’s reform

    The political parties behind the master’s reform have adjusted their original proposal to shorten or reorganize up to 50 percent of master’s programmes after pressure from CBS and the other Danish universities. Fewer shortened master’s and longer to implement changes are some important revisions to the reform. CBS’ president is pleased that the government and other parties behind the reform have listened to some of the critique given by the universities but raises concern about cutting more study places in bachelor’s programmes.

  • News

    CBS Quiz Time: Unraveling the success story

    A successful university environment such as CBS is often associated with academic pursuits, but campus life extends far beyond the classroom. At CBS Quiz Time, a student society motivated by creative thinking and social engagement, students join in a refreshing range of creativity, excitement, and social interaction. CBS WIRE talked to Celine Møller-Andersen to find out about the society’s vision, strategies and the factors that are driving its rapid expansion.

  • Gif of the week
  • Blog

    Uncertain times: Essential for business schools to understand their market

    The alliance of European business schools met at CBS in June to enhance recruitment strategies, stay informed on industry trends, and analyse where the global economy is heading. The CBS MBA Programmes shares some key take-aways from Associate Dean and Professor Jesper Rangvid’s presentation.

  • News

    Working hard all summer: Bachelor Admissions

    The employees in charge of bachelor admissions at CBS are a small exclusive team. They ensure the validity of diplomas and the fulfilment of entry requirements for bachelor’s degrees at CBS – and, not least, that the applicants get the necessary help to upload the right documentation and find their way around the application procedures.

Follow CBS students studying abroad

CBS WIRE collaborates with Videnskab.dk

Stay connected

Close