University: California State University Fullerton
City: Fullerton
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: International Business Administration
Study type: semester abroad
“Heey, what’s up? How about studying and then having a coffee together?” These are words that became part of my everyday life during my semester abroad. My name is Valentina, I’m studying International Business and I’ve completed my 3rd semester at CSUF. Check jibin123.com to see Semester Abroad In Thompson Rivers University.
How did I get into California State University Fullerton?
Through a detour. My dream originally was to go to Hawaii Pacific University. Within a few weeks, the confirmation for the winter semester was in my mailbox. Is it really that fast? Yes, that’s right.
With the promise, a wish became reality and now questions arose, such as:
can i really afford it Or did I go a little too high with the HPU? Is it worth risking so much money without knowing beforehand whether you can pass the courses in a foreign language? etc. Since I couldn’t answer all the questions with yes, I had to look for another solution. Financially compared to the HPU, CSUF was the best alternative. Today I am overjoyed that financial issues have changed my goal. Because you have to consider that with a semester abroad you accept a new system and costs arise that you had no idea about beforehand.
I arrived in Fullerton with no place to live. Today I would recommend students not to turn down halls of residence outright, because looking for a place to live is stressful that a 5-month stay is not worth. The University Village offer seemed way overpriced to me, but I ended up with much more effort at almost the same expense, and even for a shared room.
In the first few days, an “orientation” is offered, which is incredibly well organized and rewarded with a rich lunch. After the weekend, the course starts. The international office tries to enroll all exchange students in the courses that are specified in the application. That’s why I would recommend everyone to take a lot of time for this in Germany. Read through the requirements. Time flies faster than you think, and if you don’t think about the courses beforehand, it’s a lot harder to get everything sorted out in the US. As an international student, you have very good chances of getting into the desired subject, since the office takes into account the high tuition fees – this is an incredible advantage of the CSUF!!
When my studies started, I was relatively disappointed and wanted to break off my semester abroad, because the simple vocabulary is usually enough, because you no longer bring it with you from everyday life. I have to mention that I had previously lived in the English-speaking world for 1.5 years, was able to communicate quite well, but still felt very overwhelmed. But one request: be patient!! Don’t drop out of class or jump into a subject that’s easy but won’t do you any good. Panic is normal and will pass. In the end, I got an A and a B in the subjects I wanted to drop. Of course, discipline is also required; but you build them up over time.
As soon as the studies begin, time also begins to fly. I would rate the range of activities very well. Especially at the beginning, all activities offer free food, beach parties, billiard and bowling nights, coffee breaks, etc.: all activities where you can make a lot of new friends. The university itself is equipped with so many opportunities that you have to manage your time well in order not to neglect your studies. In addition to free cinema, dance, billiard, bowling and sports evenings, the university is like a city within a city. After all, with 35,000 students, CSUF is the largest university in California (not by area but by number). The libraries are open almost 24 hours a day and are also so well equipped that studying can be a lot of fun. I really enjoyed learning there. In the library you see friends again, study together and then go out. That, for example, was almost the best part of the semester for me. For those who enjoy travelling, I can also recommend Fullerton. If you have the opportunity, you simply have to have lived in Orange County, even if it is a very !! expensive place is. Huntington Beach, known as “surf city”, Laguna Beach, Santa Monica, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Hollywood are easily accessible by train, bus and subway. But one last tip: enjoy the university, because you are only a student once in your life. You can travel at any time, but you are only part of the CSUF once. Since the university has so many different courses, you can not only become part of the course, but also the concerts.
If you have any questions about the Business Finance, Principles of Microeconomics, Law for Small Business or Financial Accounting courses, please feel free to write to me for more information.
Of course it is a challenge to get out of your own comfort zone, but once you embark on the adventure, your horizons will expand so much that you can no longer imagine not having taken this step!!! Participate in everything, because this way you will experience something that cannot be bought!!
Thanks also to MicroEdu. I have a lot of respect for how good and helpful all the staff are, thank you so much!!
