University: California State University Fullerton

City: Fullerton

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Field of study: business administration

Study type: semester abroad

Selection

I decided to spend a semester at California State University Fullerton because this university accepts the cheapest English language proficiency test. The DAAD test could be taken at our university. Comparable tests cost money. Another reason for choosing California State University Fullerton (CSUF) was its proximity to Los Angeles and the associated advantages of a big city in a warm climate. Another priority for me was to improve my English skills, for which an English-speaking country like the USA is almost perfect. I sent the application and all the important documents to MicroEdu and I had the confirmation just a few weeks later. The support from MicroEdu was great and always helpful! Check iamaccepted.com to see San Diego State University study abroad opportunities.

With 37,000 students, the university is one of the largest universities in California. The business college has a very good reputation, but this also increases the effort involved in learning. The principle of the university is more schooled compared to our universities in Germany, which is shown by the fact that attendance is compulsory, you write tests and you can get homework. You can specify your desired subjects at the beginning, which the International Office will also take into account as much as possible. It is also possible that you are not enrolled in any course at all. You should therefore definitely be prepared for class crashing. To be enrolled in a course you need a signature from the respective professor and a signature from the respective department. The International Office will then register you for the course. The first two weeks of the semester are for registering for and de-registering from courses. The communication between professors, university and students takes place over the Internet via Titanium or Blackboard. The subjects at CSUF are divided into different levels of difficulty, which can be identified by the number in front of the course. The higher the number in front of the respective course, the more difficult or the more effort the course can entail. It is best to find out from your professors in Germany whether the course you would like to take can be credited to you or not. CSUF syllabi are certainly helpful for this. You can also get some syllabi from MicroEdu. The higher the number in front of the respective course, the more difficult or the more effort the course can entail. It is best to find out from your professors in Germany whether the course you would like to take can be credited to you or not. CSUF syllabi are certainly helpful for this. You can also get some syllabi from MicroEdu.

Accommodation

There are many ways to organize accommodation. You can either do it directly from Germany or on site. If you decide on the second variant, you will certainly have the advantage that you will not only recognize the respective living conditions from pictures and certain flaws from the outset. Since there were two of us, we were able to buy a car and rent an apartment within two weeks. So it is possible in a very short time. We stayed at the Motel 6 for the first week. As already mentioned, of the many housing options, only an apartment of our own was an option for us. Since there were two of us, we were able to save a lot of money by splitting the rent. This was definitely helpful as you should expect to pay around $750-$1000 per person for apartment accommodation. Utilities (additional costs) and internet access costs are also added to the apartment rent. Many students are accommodated in the Homestead Apartments. But we decided on the Windrose Apartments, which I can only recommend to everyone. In our opinion, the Windrose Apartments have the best value for money. As far as the public transport system in Los Angeles is concerned, I can only say that it is there but not really good. If you plan to travel and see other places, you should get a car. Craigslist will help you find a car. Rental cars are also an alternative, but only really for short rental periods, as the costs increase relatively quickly.

Life and travel

Los Angeles offers many beaches and also has something to offer with Hollywood and Beverly Hills. San Diego is in close proximity. Las Vegas is about a four hour drive away. San Francisco is approximately a 7 hour drive from Los Angeles. During the week you can relax in Downtown Fullerton from university stress. In general, I would say that apart from gas and clothing, life in California is more expensive than in Germany.
In conclusion, I can only recommend everyone to go abroad and gain new experiences. Think it’s a good time and it’s really great fun!