University: California State University Fullerton
City: Fullerton
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
Information on the host university
California State University Fullerton, also CSUF or Cal State Fullerton, is a public university in Fullerton, Orange Country in the US state of California. With around 40,000 students, it is one of the largest universities in the California State University System. The college was founded in 1957 as Orange County State College. The name change to Orange State College took place in 1962 and California State College at Fullerton in 1964. In June 1972 the university found its current name. CalState Fullerton offers a wide range of courses.More than 109 different courses are offered. 57 different bachelor’s courses and 52 master’s courses. Also a Doctor of Education and Nursing Practice. More than 4,100 employees find their full-time and part-time jobs at this university. 90 different international nations study in Fullerton. I was particularly impressed by the college sports that the universities offer here in the States. The sports teams of the CSUF are called the “Titans”. There are a number of sports on offer, such as soccer, basketball, baseball or golf.This applies to both sexes, woman and man. The sports are organized by the NCAA, the so-called National Collegiate Athletic Association. This is a volunteer association of the USA and Canada through which the colleges or universities organize their sports programs. Due to the high level of popularity among spectators and the corresponding marketing via the media, university sports are much more important than in other countries. CSUF’s mascot is an elephant named ”Tuffy the Titan”. The choice of mascot dates back to the 1960s when the campus hosted the first college elephant race in human history. This event attracted over 10,000 spectators, 15 pachyderms and a telegram from Richard M. Nixon, then US President. Most notably, the Princeton Review ranked CSUF’s Business and Economics department among the top 295 business schools. Other numerous awards can be found on the university’s website. See ehuacom for SHU Study Abroad.
Reasons for the chosen university
I had known for a long time that I would like to do my semester abroad in the United States. On the one hand because of the English language for my further life, on the other hand I also wanted to get to know the culture and people on this continent. I read up on the country, but specifically on the state of California. Not only does the sun shine in California most of the time, California also has one of the best universities in the country. When it was clear that I wanted to go to California, I made an appointment with an agency in Münster called ” MicroEdu “. Why I chose Cal State Fullerton was not only based on the good reputation of the university. I was also encouraged by the positive response from friends who also studied at CSUF. Another point was the university’s international business faculty. California is also known for the most beautiful beaches. Thus, the decision of Cal State Fullerton was clear.
Supervision during the course
The organization before and during the course ran smoothly. There were no problems from my side. The service was always 100% available. Before the start of the semester, I received a schedule from the University’s International Office. All dates, such as registration or the opening and other organizational matters were written down there. So I had an overview of the deadlines that I had to meet. From home you could apply in advance for the courses you would like to take.Eight to ten courses should be prioritized. In the end, you had to attend four courses. Of course, the wishes were taken into account as well as possible. I received two of my prioritized courses. The other two courses are chosen according to the so-called crash method. In the first two weeks of your studies, you attend the lecture you wished for. Ultimately, the professor decides whether participation in the lecture is possible. But German students abroad are very well regarded here. In my case, admission to the respective lecture was not a problem. Even during my studies, the International Office was always available by e-mail or telephone.The course content about the courses taken was reproduced on an online platform called ”Titanium”. Scripts and further information on the course of the lesson could be viewed here. If a lecture was canceled due to illness by a professor, we students received a notification by email. Therefore, the mailbox should be checked once every morning. In addition, the university had a medical center on campus. Smaller visits to the doctor could be handled here. Scripts and other lecture documents could also be printed in the library.
My chosen courses
The workload at the university is very high, since every professor already requires some homework, presentations, quizzes, exams and the like during the semester in order to keep the students permanently on the topic and thus to be able to practice active teaching.
Financial Management II
A great course and just the right mix of interesting and not too demanding. The professor was helpful, niceand talked a lot. There were weekly quizzes and some case studies. In addition, there was weekly homework and an intermediate exam as well as the final exam. This course provides an overview of the conception, processes and institutions involved in financing companies. The assessment of cash flows, the company valuation, financial planning, the capital structure and the payment policy. This is just a smaller overview of the broad subject. Furthermore, the course should reflect with a better understanding of the actual problems real companies face in controlling their financial functions with a focus on creating value for the company. Such functions include the decisions to declare dividends, allocate risks and invest in a new project, plan long-term emission positions, bonds or manage cash flows. Assigned projects allow you to understand a company from a manager’s perspective. This lecture was given twice a week. Mondays and Wednesdays, each for 75 minutes from 11: 30 a.m. to 12: 45 p.m.A really great course that I had a lot of fun with. I was also lucky that I was the only German on the course. This enabled me to demonstrate my English language skills in group work and by participating in class.
Labor Economics
This is a really challenging course. Daily preparation and follow-up of the course is mandatory here. Five homework assignments, two assignments, an intermediate exam and a final exam took place. Below is an overview of the course schedule. Social policy debates are often linked to labor market issues. This course should show students how the labor market works and provide a mechanism for analyzing questions about labor market outcomes. Why has female labor force participation in the United States increased dramatically over the past century? Do minimum wages increase unemployment? What are the economic returns to investing in a four-year college degree? Is this return different, when individuals begin their educational experience at a community school and then transfer to a four-year school? This course has explained these and other questions by combining economic theory, facts and measurements. This lecture also took place twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11: 30 a.m. to 12: 45 p.m.A really great professor. Mr. Andrew Gill always made time with the students before and after classes began. Problems from the lessons were also explained to us during his consultation hours. I really only have positive things to say about Mr. Gil.
Business Valuation
This lecture deals with company valuation.Valuation of companies is an essential financing method. The course focused on valuation, especially for mergers and acquisitions. Valuation methods and their application in mergers and acquisitions were presented in class. After completing this course, we students were able to gain understanding, understand the fundamental concepts in mergers and acquisitions. We knew different methods for evaluating companies in order to estimate the value of divisions, subsidiaries and companies and to make appropriate investments and strategic decisions. We learned to understand factors that determine a company’s need for outside financing and make decisions about an optimal mix of debt and equity financing. In this lecture we were tested by two groups of cases and a single presentation. This course took place on Monday evenings from 7: 00 p.m. to 9: 45 p.m.
Sports marketing
Sports Marketing has been a really very interesting and exciting subject. After passing the lecture, I was able to develop an understanding of what sports marketing and its role in business and society actually mean. We got to know the different functional areas of sports marketing and their key activities in the lecture. developments and the ability of us students to apply relevant theories to solve problems faced by sport. Chief among the problems faced by companies marketing sports is understanding today’s business and preparing for the sports marketing role later in life. The lecture was very varied thanks to guest lecturers in the field of sports. For example, we had that Marketing Director of the LA Lakers and the LA Clippers in-house. These are the two major basketball clubs in California. You belong to the elite of the NBA. Six quizzes as well as an assignment, two midterms, group work and a final exam supported the preparation. A very complex subject, which is associated with a lot of diligence. But a great subject with a great professor. This subject was always taught on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1: 00 p.m. to 2: 15 p.m.
Accommodation and its costs
Finding the right accommodation for studying in the USA is not easy and involves a lot of effort, depending on your budget. Rents for a room shared with one other person start at around $400 per person and can go up to $1,500 per person if you opt for a single room. At the beginning of the semester, I decided to look for suitable accommodation on siteand I started looking for a good two weeks before the semester started. In the end I got to know three other students and started a shared flat. I found that while it wasn’t difficult to find people willing to move into this apartment, it would have been difficult to beat the $600 price I ended up paying for a room I shared. Our apartment was the most spacious in terms of area that I have seen in six months and for $2,400 warm offered a furnished kitchen, a spacious living room, two large bedrooms and two bathrooms with a shower, pool and gym were already included in the price and were right in front of the door. Of course it is frightening when you compare this price with the prices in Germany.
Tuition, living expenses and financing
While tuition fees in the US are quite high, they are still average when you compare countries like Australia or New Zealand. California State University Fullerton is already one of the cheapest with around $5,600 in tuition. In addition, there was a mandatory health insurance from the university in the amount of $700. The cost of living is therefore quite high. I’ve already paid $600 for the rent. The food costs are higher in relation to Germany and you usually pay significantly higher prices in the supermarkets near the university for unfortunately not the same quality of the products.So it’s a good idea to know someone who has a car to drive to the supermarkets, where you can get halfway normal prices because of the large quantities purchased (Wal-Mart). If you only shop in the supermarkets that are closest, cooking on the spot is usually more expensive than eating in a fast-food restaurant. I financed the semester abroad with the allowances from the Bafög office and a saved amount. If you watch your money and keep track of your expenses, it’s possible to get by on around $1,000 a month. Of course, the amount varies depending on how much of the country you want to see.
Campus life and extracurricular activities
Campus life is very varied and exciting. With around 40,000 students, the campus is a lively small town. The Cal State Fullerton offers a wide range of sports activities, various clubs and great ideas for recreational activities. Due to the high workload described above, my life here did not, according to all prejudices, only consist of sun, sand and sea. However, since I was fortunately able to plan my lectures in such a way that I only had lectures from Monday to Thursday, I was of course able to use many a long weekend for various trips. From Malibu to Santa Monica, Venice, Huntington, Newport and Laguna Beach to San Diego we traveled the west coast of California. Each beach has its own flair. While Santa Monica has a carnival atmosphere on the pier, Huntington and Newport are the surfing strongholds par excellence and Laguna is surrounded by a beautiful bay. Against this background, a major advantage of the CSUF is its central location, since the most beautiful cities on the coast can be reached in just a few minutes. los Angeles itself has not been able to convince me very much in contrast to the aforementioned cities. Hollywood and Beverly Hills were therefore very impressive to visit. Of course we also had some party nights in Las Vegas. In this case, Sin City was only a 4 ½ hour drive away. An impressive city with lots of great memories and the best DJs in the world. We also made other trips to the Grand Canyon in Arizona. The first thing you notice is how huge this country really is.But I have beautiful moments and memories that I will never forget. These enormous views are not at all recognizable in photos and can only be seen with the naked eye. Arizona is not the same as California. Therefore, the different time zones should be considered in the planning. National parks, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver in Canada rounded off my stay abroad. Of course not to be forgotten is the two-week road trip to New York at the end of my stay. An unforgettably great time that I will never forget in my life.
My conclusion
To end this report, all I can say is that I definitely had the time of my life in California. I’ve gotten to know so many new things, met people, tried them out and seen that I’m now plagued by wanderlust and wanderlust.Through the semester abroad, I made incredibly great new friends, developed my skills and educated myself personally. I can now really recommend everyone to do a semester abroad, as it is a unique experience that no one else can give you. I don’t regret a single minute of my time in America and would go there again anytime. Of course, I’ve already secured accommodation with friends there. Even if the semester abroad was really expensive, I think that seeing something of the world and gaining and retaining this experience and these impressions is worth every penny. Nobody can take the memories away from you and I am infinitely grateful to have taken this opportunity.