If I could, I would jump straight back on the plane to California or turn back time. It was an unbelievably great experience that I would never miss and would like to repeat at some point. I can only recommend it to everyone to try it for themselves and to go through with it despite initial worries, because it is really worth it!
General:
After the decision had been made and the home university had given its approval to the recognition of the chosen courses (there is definitely something for everyone), a visa appointment was arranged and flights were booked.
Living:
I did the semester abroad with my boyfriend and we both wanted to live together. Not in a shared apartment, but in a real apartment. Looking for a flat is not that easy from Germany. Although we reserved an apartment in advance with a down payment of over $ 200, we decided on an apartment in the Homestead Apartments. This apartment complex is less than 10 minutes by bike from the CSUF and was really great. You don’t have that campus life , but we didn’t really want it. Like everything else in America , it is not cheap to live there, but neither is it more expensive than on campus.
University:
The American education system is not as good as the German one. We both only took home very good grades and you have to do more during the semester, but at the end of the day it’s not just an exam that counts.
There are many courses to choose from , so everyone should find something that interests them or what they need for their German university. Our courses were all multiple-choice tests and exams, which can take some getting used to.
The campus itself is huge and really beautiful . It offers everything your heart desires. The gym (Titan Recreation Center) is highly recommended . For $ 120 per semester you can do sports and train here under the best conditions. There is a climbing wall, outdoor pool, lots of equipment, basketball and badminton courts . You can also borrow tennis equipment for free and use the outdoor courts.
Leisure:
We tried to do all homework etc. during the week so that we could travel on the weekend. Destinations that we reached by car were, for example, San Diego , Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon , Los Angeles , Joshua Tree National Park or various beaches (Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Thousand Steps is highly recommended !!!). To go shopping and to get to university, we bought bicycles using the Letgo app and ended up selling them for the same price. A car is irreplaceable if you don’t want to spend a ton on Uber. We had heard from Chico through top-engineering-schools.com testimonials. He rents cars on a daily or monthly basis to students at a really fair price. We went straight to his workshop on the first day. The fact that we met him there straight away borders on a miracle for us to this day, because he is very friendly and has fair prices, but is not always the most reliable. Still, we can warmly recommend it!
If it should be a little further away, the only thing left is the plane, because America is really big. We’re to San Francisco (can still be reached by car, but we didn’t have the time to drive that long), to New York at Christmas time at the beginning of December (really beautiful), to Seattle and to Hawaii ( absolute dream and the greatest thing of all time ! ) flown.
I have to say that I was also very happy not to have studied directly in LA. It is much nicer to study on a large campus a bit out of the way and yet with very good connections than in the middle of a world metropolis. In addition, Fullerton and America in general is not very cheap, LA is almost unaffordable, which is why you should think twice about whether it is worth it.
Tips:
Aldi is also available in America and is significantly cheaper to shop than local supermarkets such as Albertsons.
If you have to buy furniture: At IKEA there is a 365-day right of return! You can’t return hygiene items, but tables, chairs, the bed frame, etc. can – we tried it and it worked!
Apartments in apartment complexes are usually only paid for with checks. Take care of your limit of foreign withdrawals or open an American bank account.
Talk to the professors. They are generally much more helpful and want more contact and closeness with the students and are usually happy to help you. So don’t be shy!
Enjoy the time as much as you can, it won’t come back and will fly by …
