University: California State University Long Beach
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: Business
Study type: semester abroad
Semester abroad in California ?! Go for it!
First of all, I would like to thank MicroEdu for their support. The team (especially Anja) helped me to find the right university for me and gave me an unforgettable time in California.
It was already clear to me at the beginning of my studies that I would like to do a semester abroad. Although the specific goal had not yet been found, one thing was clear: Sun, sand and sea, ideally, throughout the semester! Of course, California is a good choice! So I decided to do my semester in California. I turned to MicroEdu with this plan, and I quickly realized how many different universities there are in California. After some back and forth and Anja’s advice, it was clear after some time that I would like to study at CSULB would like. Check jibin123 to learn information about University of Mainz.
This was followed by an actually manageable application process ( proof of language proficiency, financial proof, etc.) and a quick acceptance from the University of Long Beach. The organization of my stay abroad could start!
The first thing I did was get my visa. The entire process was surprisingly simple and after a 30-minute appointment at the embassy in Frankfurt and then a short wait, I had the visa in the mailbox!
So the search for an apartment or a room could begin. I had decided to take care of accommodation in advance to save myself the stress on site. Depending on where you plan to stay, I can really recommend it. It saves you a lot of stress and you can settle in in the first few days. I had booked an apartment in the Beverly Plaza complex online with my future roommates. We therefore had to make the payments on site. The residential area (Beverly Plaza, Alvista, Park Ave) is very popular with students and only a 10 minute bike ride to campus! There is even a free shuttle to the university from the apartment complexes! In addition to other small points ( health insurance, mobile phone contract, credit card, etc.) the majority of the preparations were done and the semester abroad could begin !
During the first days on site, we mainly took care of furnishing our apartment and a bike. It is really advisable to arrive a few days before the start of the semester so that you can take care of the most important things in advance. Regarding the bike, buying a car, etc., I decided on a bike. We always rented a car together for weekend trips.
The semester at CSULB begins with a more or less stressful choice of course. In general, it is common for students from the Study at the Beach program to crash their courses during the first few days. This means you go to your personal desired courses and get a signature from the professor in order to be allowed to take part in the course. Unfortunately, it can happen that you cannot take your desired course due to a lack of previous knowledge or overcrowded courses. The university therefore recommends having a list of at least 10 desired courses ready! However, I was lucky and was able to reserve my courses in advance from Germany. Unfortunately, the management faculty is closed to us Study at the Beach students, which is why I only took economics modules :
- Econ 306: Environmental issues of world economy
- A course that links topics such as climate change etc. with economic models. However, in addition to various quizzes and homework, there is also a final homework of at least 10 pages!
- Econ 320: Money and Banking
- A course that goes more in the financial direction. Topics such as bonds, stocks and financial markets are covered. However, the degree of difficulty of the calculations is limited. In addition to two exams, there is now and then online homework.
- Econ 333: Managerial Economics
- A course that deals with typical Econ topics such as externalities, Stackelberg, etc. Here, too, there was only online homework in addition to two exams.
- Econ 372: International Economics
- In my opinion the most complex course. In addition to the quiz and presentation, there was also homework and required reading for $200.
In general, you should be prepared for a lot more work than in Germany. You usually get smaller homework, chores or quizzes all the time. However, in the end you don’t have to learn as much for the final exams and the level is generally not comparable to Germany. Despite everything, there is still enough time to travel ! In addition to real courses, there are also courses such as surfing, dancing or golf that earn you credits!
During the semester, the weekends (we always had Fridays off) are great for short trips ( San Diego, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Palm Springs, etc.). The Thanksgiving holiday is perfect for a trip to Hawaii, Mexico or Canada ! In general, I can only recommend traveling as much as possible ! Long Beach is a great base and California really has a lot to offer, so you can explore different places every weekend!
In general, I can really only recommend a semester abroad ! Of course, living in California and traveling is not cheap and you should plan enough money so that you can enjoy the time. However, you probably only have such an experience once in a lifetime and I personally wouldn’t want to miss this experience again. I’m glad I decided to spend a semester abroad and I’m grateful for the wonderful and exciting time !
