University: California State University Chico
City: Chico
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business Informatics
Study type: semester abroad
Chico State – Time of my life!
I definitely wanted to spend the last semester of my studies abroad. Based on the recommendation of some fellow students, I ended up in Chico State, California. See mcat-test-centers for china higher education. I only knew the term “college town” from Hollywood films – until I came to Chico. A relatively small city by American standards (about 70,000 inhabitants) with a university in the city center with 15,000 students – that’s Chico.
When I arrived in Chico a few days before the semester started, I had the impression of living in a ghost town. However, as the semester started, hordes of students arrived in town and Chico came to life. Most students live in close proximity to the university (between Salem and Cedar streets), making Chico appear as one large campus. If, like me, you only stay in Chico for a semester, there are various apartment complexes to live in. When choosing an apartment, you should pay attention to whether it is furnished or not. From my own experience I can say that it is relatively difficult to get a place in a corresponding apartment complex from Germany. Often only annual contracts are offered here. On site, however, this was not a problem. It is also advisable to get an idea of the premises on site. Sometimes a shuttle service to the university is offered, as the walk to the university is often more than 10 minutes. From my own experience I can recommend Craig Student Living. You can also express your desire for American roommates here.
Everything in the center can be easily done on foot. A bicycle is a great way to go grocery shopping. In my case, my American roommates even had a car, which made it easier to get to the (cheaper) mall (WinCo’s & Co), since public transport is not one of Chicos’ strengths.
As mentioned at the beginning, the university has a beautiful campus that is great for studying. It should be noted that the course catalog is compared with the timetable, as some courses are not always offered. The level of the courses in the Master’s program was comparable to the courses at my home university. Due to the very schooled system, you are much more busy with preparing and following up on courses than you are used to. Weekly assignments and many readings are the order of the day. I found the professors to be very nice and helpful. A gym membership is also recommended. This is very well equipped and offers all possibilities to do sports.
Bidwellpark is located in the immediate vicinity of the city center. Here you can relax wonderfully. If you don’t find a pool in your own apartment complex, the park is a wonderful place to swim, which is a welcome way to cool off, especially in the hot summer months.
Of course there is no shortage of fun in a student town. Especially on weekends you can experience the chic flair at house parties or in the city’s bars. The bars are always very busy almost every day and the drinks are very, very cheap, even for a student city. Especially on Halloween or Labor Day, Chico is flooded with young people from all over California. One of the highlights is definitely the ‘Float’ on the Sacramento River, where thousands of people let themselves drift across the river.
The weather is mostly wonderful until December. Especially during the day, temperatures of sometimes over 20 degrees are tempting. However, at night it can get very chilly with temperatures around freezing point.
Personally, Chico seemed a relatively safe town to me. Nevertheless, you should make sure that doors and windows are always carefully locked when leaving the apartment. If you have a long way home via a few dark corners, you should rather take a taxi home. I’ve never had bad experiences in this area.
The Chico location also offers wonderful opportunities for travel. San Francisco on the coast and Lake Tahoe are only about a 3 hour drive away. The capital Sacramento is about 1.5 hours away and Yosemite National Park is also very close by. Anyone who has the opportunity should take the opportunity to travel the beautiful Californian coast before or after the semester. Organized tours are also offered through the university.
Conclusion: Chico is incredible and in my opinion the perfect place for a semester abroad in the States. Highly Recommended!!