University: California State University Fullerton
City: Fullerton
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: media, media studies
Study type: semester abroad
Visa:
I applied for the visa in Frankfurt about a month before my departure. It actually went very quickly there, I was there 30 minutes beforehand and by the time I actually had my appointment I was already done. See iamaccepted for California State University Long Beach Study Abroad.
During my stay I lived with an American host family, I chose to stay with a host family because it is cheaper than University Village and I had to speak English there. The application was a bit complicated and muddled as they lost my online application (however that can happen). When I asked it took forever to get an answer. A week and a half before my departure, I was told that they had a host family for me, but that they would be on vacation for the first 12 days. So I was allowed to look for a hotel/hostel a week and a half before my departure, although of course all the cheap ones were fully booked and I had costs of over 500€. After 7 days I was offered to stay with another host family, I declined, however, because she lived further away from the university. My host family consisted of an elderly couple who were very welcoming and cooked well as they used to own a restaurant. There was also a student from Japan who lived with me in the host family and I got along with her very well. The host family gave me a lot of freedom, so I could come home whenever I wanted and always use their fridge. I was also allowed to use the pool and jacuzzi in the garden. Through the host family I got to know family life in an American family with house/pool parties and barbecues. There was also a student from Japan who lived with me in the host family and I got along with her very well. The host family gave me a lot of freedom, so I could come home whenever I wanted and always use their fridge. I was also allowed to use the pool and jacuzzi in the garden. Through the host family I got to know family life in an American family with house/pool parties and barbecues. There was also a student from Japan who lived with me in the host family and I got along with her very well. The host family gave me a lot of freedom, so I could come home whenever I wanted and always use their fridge. I was also allowed to use the pool and jacuzzi in the garden. Through the host family I got to know family life in an American family with house/pool parties and barbecues.
Courses:
COMM 202 Reporting for Mass Media (Professor Walls, Monday: 1900-21: 45):
- During the semester, 1 midterm is written and 5 assignments must be submitted, there are also points for attendance
- Each individual has to shoot and edit 2 videos between 1: 30-3: 00 min, you can choose the topic yourself
- At the beginning of the course you will write and practice stand ups & voice overs
- You can actually get an A in the course if you submit everything on time, use different camera settings for your videos and cut cleanly
COMM 233 Mass Media Communication (Professor Brody, Wednesday: 1900-21: 45) :
- There are 2 midterms and 1 final in the course, and you also have to write a paper and a blog
- There are additional points if you like the professor’s Facebook page and post something 10 times
- During the semester you read 2 books (costs around $20) and watch 2 films
- The professor writes slides and is enthusiastic about German students
RTVF 341 TV/Film Industry (Professor Hart, Thursday: 1600-18: 45):
- There are 15 quizzes, so attendance is checked, 1 paper and 1 final
- The professor focuses on the TV industry as he himself worked for Paramount for 25 years
- Every week 3 guest speakers from the television industry (acting agents, writers, producers…) are invited, so it can happen that someone comes who won an Emmy the week before
- There are no slides in the course, but texts to read every week, which also serve to prepare for the quizzes
- The course was definitely one of my favorite courses because there is no such course in Germany. Where in Germany do Emmy winners stop by?
RTWF 361 American TV (Professor Jenkins, Tuesday: 1600-18: 45):
- 5 pop quizzes, 1 midterm, 1 final and 1 paper
- The course is about American television history
- You have to memorize a lot of names and TV shows, but the professor has slides that she uploads
- Many Youtube clips are shown during the lessons
All of my professors were very nice and found it exciting to have foreign students in their courses. You could always go to them if you needed help. All in all, you have to do more for the university during the semester than in Germany. What suits you is that in most night classes, the professors often finish around 9: 00 p.m.
Miscellaneous:
- I would recommend everyone to go to one of the clubs at the university because you get to know Americans and other students there
- Las Vegas is good for partying as they have pool parties until October where DJ’s like David Guetta spin
- I went to Hawaii for Thanksgiving break, which I would recommend to anyone because it’s beautiful there
- www.tvtickets.com, www.1iota.com, www.beinamovie.com On the sites you can get tickets to sitcoms like Big Bang Theory or shows like The Voice & Jimmy Kimmel. Anyone who has always wanted to take part in a film as an extra can see whether they are still looking for extras for films. TED2 was being filmed when I was there and when do you get to shoot with Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane, David Hasselhoff…?
I can recommend everyone to do a semester abroad with MicroEdu.