University: California State University Fullerton

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Field of study: business administration

Study type: semester abroad

Preparation

The visa

The visa must be applied for online. To do this, you have to answer a few questions in English and then make an appointment at the US Embassy. There are embassies in Munich, Frankfurt and Berlin. There is also a Visa and Sevis fee to pay (approximately EUR 400 in total). Check existingcountries.com to see University of California Irvine Review.

At the appointment with the embassy you will be asked a few questions, you have to hand in your documents and your passport. You will get your passport back a few days after the embassy appointment, including the visa. Overall, it is a simple procedure, but it takes a lot of time.

MicroEdu support

The support from MicroEdu has been outstanding. You will receive a checklist with all the steps to be taken. This gives you a rough overview of everything you need to do in a timely manner right from the start. MicroEdu was also very helpful when I had further questions.

The flights

I booked the return flight with airberlin. However, you should be clear in advance whether you want to fly back at a certain point in time or whether you want to keep the option open to travel a little with other internationals after the end of the semester.

For my return flight with airberlin, I was able to increase my suitcase to 32kg and therefore had no problems with storing my purchases

Health and supplementary insurance

CSUF requires campus health insurance for international students. You are therefore obliged to take out this health insurance through the university. You have to complete this online before you start your journey (costs around 600 US dollars). In my opinion, the university health insurance does not offer the best protection, since you have to be treated by the campus doctor. It becomes difficult if you are on the road or further away and therefore cannot visit the campus doctor. That’s why I took out additional long-term foreign health insurance. This had cost me an additional 150 EUR.

The University – CSUF

“Crash” courses

As an International, you will automatically be rolled into courses of your own shortlist. Sometimes the students are satisfied with this, others rather not. In this case you can crash your courses. You choose the time and room of your desired course online and take part in a lecture from this course. At the end of the course, ask the respective professor if you can take part in his course. The professor signs his acceptance on a form provided for this purpose and you are accepted in the course. If the professor refuses, the game starts all over again and you have to keep crashing.

PS: You need a total of 4 courses, otherwise your visa will expire. For example, many students have taken three courses, which are credited to them at their home university, and also the fourth course, which is not credited.

Timetable

The timetable is composed according to the luck and success of the course crash. Since the university has about 40,000 students, the same courses often take place several times and the chances of scheduling the courses so that you have one or the other day off increase.

The university & the campus

CSUF has a huge and beautiful campus. Everything your heart desires is offered. About countless food courts, Starbucks shops, own bowling alleys, a huge library, etc. The university’s own campus shop is particularly great. Here you will find typical university hoodies, t-shirts, caps, etc.

PS: Every first Tuesday of the month you get 20% off clothing if you wear a t-shirt or sweater with the university logo

Fullerton and environs

Reside

I had already tried to find accommodation from Germany. Unfortunately, I had received a rejection in the student residence. Then I came across the Haver-Hill Apartment. It is a beautiful apartment complex near the university. I shared my apartment with a fellow student. Everyone had their own room with their own bathroom. We use the kitchen, living room and balcony together. From the balcony we could see the beautiful pool, jacuzzi and small gym. We also had our own parking space for our car. The rent is very expensive compared to Germany (unless you choose a host family). We paid about 1100 US dollars per person per month. Other students had to pay more or less the same for their rent.

Destinations and activities

Fullerton is perfectly located for driving to countless beaches or Los Angeles on days off. There is everything your heart desires. Our destinations:

• San Diego
• los Angeles
• san francisco
• Grand Canyon
• Las Vegas
• new York
• Chicago
• countless beaches (Venice Beach, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Santa Monica,…)
• Etc.

Tips and Tricks

Automobile

A lot of internationals had bought cheap cars, but sooner or later most of these cars had an engine failure or something similar. We decided to rent a car. We rented our Mustang from Chicho in Fullerton. Chicho actually has a car repair shop and only rents out his cars to students. Therefore he can offer very student-friendly prices (we couldn’t have afforded a car from another rental company & for the whole semester). Everything went great. The car was well insured and drove like one. Every month Chicho checked the car for free (oil level, brakes, etc.). Another thing to mention is Chicho’s art. He is a really nice and friendly Mexican. Every semester he makes a huge barbecue for the students in his garden at home. Believe me, everything has been thought of here. He also showed us the best pubs in Fullerton and invited us to lunch or dinner here and there. You can find Chicho at this address: 812 Williamson Ave, Fullerton

Las Vegas

Partying in Las Vegas is amazing! Here’s my tip: find a Las Vegas promoter on Facebook or Instagram and text them. This will put you on the club’s guest list, saving you the hassle of queuing and paying no entry fee

Domestic flights

We had used the semester break (fall break) for a trip to New York and Chicago. The flights within the USA are dirt cheap and definitely worth it! It is good if you make your booking from Fullerton. Don’t wait too long, though, because Fallbreak is right in the middle of Thanksgiving and prices go up a lot before the holidays. PS: We found a good apartment in New York via airbnb.de and were therefore able to do without an expensive hotel.

Shooting ranch in Brea

There is a shooting ranch in the neighboring town of Brea. The ranch is a lot cheaper than the ranches in Las Vegas or similar tourist locations. Brea can be reached by car in 5-10 minutes.

Aldi & Trader Joe’s

Fresh and healthy food in particular is quite expensive in California . You have to dig a little deeper into your wallet. There is an Aldi in neighboring Anaheim. There you will find some German products (especially there is an Italian, packaged bread that is very reminiscent of our German farmhouse bread) and of course fresh fruit and vegetables at affordable prices. In Brea there is Trader Joe’s, also great for shopping for fruit, veg, milk etc.

Brian’s bar

A must for every CSUF student! Every Wednesday evening, this is where all students meet. There are 7 beers here for an unbeatable $10. You get the beer fresh from the barrel and you can even choose between different types.

Conclusion

Even if the preparations are associated with a lot of time and effort, you will not regret it afterwards ! The semester was worth every penny because I’ve had the best time of my life this semester and I would go back to CSUF at Fullerton anytime. With a lot of envy I wish you a great and unforgettable time in California.