California State University, East Bay 7

California State University, East Bay (7)

North America

Introduction

As part of the Visiting Student Program, I completed two quarters at California State University East Bay from April to September 2012. During these two quarters, I took courses at the master’s level from the International Business Diploma courses, for which I had obtained an accreditation form in advance at the local university so that the subsequent crediting could take place without any problems.

I had already completed a semester abroad in Australia as part of my bachelor’s degree. The decision to do another semester abroad was based on the positive experiences of my fellow students who had completed a semester abroad at CSUEB last year. After exchanging experiences, I decided to study abroad there as well. Despite the fact that I had decided at very short notice to do a semester abroad in the United States, thanks to the help of MicroEDU I was able to organize everything on time.

Proof of language proficiency was required for admission to the Visiting Student Program. I provided this proof by means of a certificate from my home university, which stated that I had taken modules in English during my bachelor’s degree. Alternatively, a DAAD language certificate can be submitted, which can be obtained from the homepage of the German Academic Exchange Service. See more student reviews of universities in North America on iamaccepted.

A financial confirmation was also required. In my case, unfortunately, there were problems with my banking institution, which refused to write me a letter stating that I had sufficient funds. So I got the money, paid it into my parents’ account and had a financial statement for the current account balance issued, which was easily accepted by the American university.

It is also advisable to open a bank account in advance with which you can withdraw money abroad without any fees. I personally chose the Deutsche Kreditbank (DKB), with whose VISA card I could withdraw money free of charge at any ATM. However, it is also advisable to have a Deutsche Bank current account, which allows you to withdraw money from Bank of America free of charge. In a direct comparison, however, you find that you are much more flexible with the VISA card from the Deutsche Kreditbank, because you are not tied to a certain financial institution, and you can also get money in neighboring countries of the United States of America, such as Mexico or without worry Canada can take off. I have also opened a bank account at the local Wells Fargo Bank.
The organization of accommodation in Hayward was very straightforward in my case, as I made direct contact with their homeowners with the friendly support of my fellow students who had stayed there a year earlier. I found rooms in a shared apartment in the immediate vicinity of the university, where rents averaged between US $ 450 and US $ 550. In general, the rent index in the Bay Area is very high, so if you want a 1-room apartment you have to plan a lot more. It is also possible to move into the student residence, which I would personally advise against, as my fellow students have had bad experiences.

Hayward and the University

Hayward is a very centrally located city in the middle of the Bay Area, east of San Francisco, south of Berkeley and north of San José, the heart of the technology world, where many well-known companies such as Apple, IBM, Google, Yahoo or Facebook have theirs Have headquarters. Since the distances in the states are not even close to the distances in Germany, I would advise you to buy a vehicle after arrival, as using public transport is very time-consuming.

The modules that I took there were part of the International Business Diploma Program, which is specially set up for exchange students. You don’t have to worry about the level of difficulty. The courses are specially tailored to your language skills. The advantage of choosing these courses is that the places are not allocated in the Class Crashing System, but each student is automatically admitted via a registration form. In contrast to the German education system, which generally conveys dry theory, every course in the states is associated with a very high proportion of practice. This is less about memorizing dry facts. Rather, the lecturers encourage the students to put the theoretical knowledge they have acquired into practice.

Conclusion

Personally, I really enjoyed my semester abroad and I can only recommend it to each of you. Dare to take a new step; A wonderful time awaits you in the States.

California State University, East Bay 7