University: California State University Fullerton

City: Fullerton

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Field of study: business administration

Study type: semester abroad

CSUF Fullerton: An ideal balance between cost, fun and teaching.

In general, I have never and never will regret my decision to study at CSUF Fullerton.
In general, the university and life in Fullerton met all my expectations and it was probably the most exciting semester of my studies! Check jibin123.com to see Semester Abroad In San Jose State University.

On the decision for the CSUF:

When looking for a university abroad, it was particularly important to me that the university was in the USA.
It was also important to me that it was well located.
CSUF is an affordable university that was ideal for me due to its proximity to LA and a student population of 30,000. Many of the students don’t live directly in Fullerton and commute, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that student life isn’t great.
If you decide not to rent/buy a car, you should definitely move to the dorm or University Crossing. In the dorms you have little privacy but the opportunity to make contacts quickly. University Crossing is across from the campus and is a beautiful gated community. Personally, I lived in the University Village, there were many international students staying there and the university was a 20-minute walk away.

Applying to college is pretty easy and MicroEdu support makes it even easier.
As long as you have proof of sufficient funds, you will quickly receive a confirmation and then a visa. If you want to have courses credited there for your home university, you have to be prepared for compromises.
Local students are given preference when choosing a course and the first requests are usually not fulfilled.
I had to choose all the courses again on site and in the lectures the lecturers asked me to be included in the course.
If you are under pressure to complete certain courses, this may be difficult.
Nevertheless, the university offers a wide range of courses.

The quality of the courses:

In general, it is a state university. In California, a distinction is made between three classes, California State (CS…), University of California (UC…) and private universities. There are also subordinate schools. The level of the Cal-States is more comparable to a technical college in Germany and the course content is very practical and schooled. Since for me the purpose of the semester abroad was to improve my English skills and get to know a foreign culture, the technical level played a secondary role.

Student life:

Basically, it is very possible to experience a party-intensive semester. You get in touch with international students almost immediately and you get to know people from all over the world.
In order to make contact with Americans, it is advisable to join one of the numerous student associations or at least take part in the introductory week. This is heavily advertised and the Fraternities/Sororities provide food and events during Rush Week.

Travel:

Without a car you are quite lost in the USA, the purchase is relatively expensive but an interesting experience. An alternative is to rent a car with friends or travel by Amtrak (train). You can also travel very cheaply to distant cities with long-distance buses (Megabus.com). It should be noted that the prices are only very cheap if you book very early.

On-site support:

The international office of the university was always able to help me with any questions and the opening hours/waiting times were also very good. The student portal, which you can use to view your courses and obtain learning material, is explained at the beginning and is also very clearly structured.
The course size of the individual modules is very manageable, which means that close contact with the lecturers is also possible. Some lectures are filled with several hundred students, so one can choose between large lectures and smaller courses depending on preference or preference.

In hindsight, I would recommend a semester abroad at Fullerton to anyone. The experience you can gain there is simply incredibly valuable and justifies the high cost of a semester abroad in the USA.