University: California State University Fullerton
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
Hello Future Titans,
I would like to give you some impressions and advice here so that your semester abroad will be at least as memorable as mine. Therefore, some FAQs and tips in advance:
What’s the best way to stay?
There are basically 3 different options: Homestay, University House/Village/Dorms and Apartments. I stayed in the apartments myself, which saved me a lot of money which I later spent on traveling (rent around $400 including utilities). Having said that, Dorms and University Village/House are a lot easier to socialize with students since that’s where they live. See iamaccepted for California State University Northridge Study Abroad.
car necessary? Buy car? Rent a car?
I can only recommend that you get a car. Whether renting or buying. You are much more flexible and can explore California independently. When buying a car, many shared the car with a roommate, which turned out to be quite sensible. Some have also rented for around $700-$900 a month. Looking back, I would have bought a car instead of just renting it temporarily.
How big should my budget be?
I needed a total of 15,000 euros. But I must also add that I saved a lot of money on housing and then invested that money in travel. A little tip about the flight: Domestic flights are often very cheap. It would therefore be worth considering flying to New York, for example, and then on to Los Angeles from there. You can also save money on weekly shopping if you go to Mexican supermarkets instead of Ralphs, Albertons, Target etc. The prices are often far below those of the above.
What should I consider when choosing a course?
How the courses turn out depends very much on the professor. The page “ratemyprofessor.com” gives you a trend about the quality. On this page you can also find out to what extent the textbook is necessary. These are in fact relatively expensive. If it is necessary, try to buy used books in various Facebook groups. Some courses still require online access. You can also buy this code separately from the book, for example, to save costs.
Preparations
After choosing Cal State Fullerton as my destination university, all that was left was to fill out and submit a few documents. MicroEdu is very helpful here and is always very easy to reach. I applied for my visa a month before departure, which turned out to be very tight due to the postal strike and the failure of the embassy system. Then there wasn’t much to do except pack. The following things have turned out to be very useful: Pocket knife with tools (pliers, etc.), power socket, power bank (especially for travel), calculator (depends on your courses), possibly winter gear for fall term.
Apartment Search
A week before departure I looked for roommates in the Facebook group (CSUF Roommates needed). In the end, however, I left without a firm commitment and took care of it on the spot. I think you can always find something. If you plan to live primarily with Americans, you might want to consider sharing a room. This solution worked very well for me and I don’t regret it at all. After I signed the lease (proof of financial security was required for me) I got some furniture from the church’s Furniture Give Away. That saves a lot of money and you also get to talk to people.
Living and studying
As always, life is how you make it. I got into the courses without much trouble, and don’t be surprised if the introduction is a bit lackluster. In addition to the university, there are many ways to spend your free time. I’ve joined several clubs and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants the ‘college’ experience. The Discover Fest, where the clubs introduce themselves, is about 2 weeks after the start of the semester. You can also party quite solidly in downtown Fullerton at night, although these are more like bar clubs. What is recommended here is a California ID, which you can apply for with the DMV (authority) relatively easily. This way you can leave your passport at home and save yourself the stress if it should get lost. In general, Fullerton’s location is excellent. Without traffic you can be at the beach in 30-45 minutes and in LA in about 40 minutes. If you don’t have a car, you can also drive from Fullerton train station, which also only takes 30 minutes. Since the university generally doesn’t take up that much time, you can easily travel within the semester. I traveled mainly during the semester, mostly for 3-4 days. For those traveling in Fall Break, I advise you to travel early as the winter will be quite chilly. So I also had to buy winter clothes so that I could still travel to Utah, Texas and Louisiana. most for 3-4 days. For those traveling in Fall Break, I would advise traveling early as the winter will be quite chilly. So I also had to buy winter clothes so that I could still travel to Utah, Texas and Louisiana. most for 3-4 days. For those traveling in Fall Break, I advise you to travel early as the winter will be quite chilly. So I also had to buy winter clothes so that I could still travel to Utah, Texas and Louisiana.
Conclusion
In the end, like everyone else before me, I can only say that it was so worth it. The experiences you get on such an adventure are unique. I would do it again and again! The effort is not as high as I first thought, precisely because MicroEdu took a lot off my hands.