Course content / study conditions:
The prerequisite for the semester abroad was that we had to take and pass 30 ECTS, which corresponded to 4 courses. In advance we had to send a course wish list to the CSUF, which then tried to take our wishes into account as best they could. Unfortunately, this was not always successful, as the American students were given preferential treatment when choosing a course and there were no more places available for us. For us that meant that we had to go to the professors and ask if we could still get into the course (crash). Some courses worked well, others less so. I was firmly in 2 courses and after a few days I had my schedule together.
I chose Project Management, International Business Finance, Purchasing and Supply Chain and Introductory to Psychology.
Some of the courses were very demanding and you learned a lot. The professors were (mostly) very good and qualified. Sometimes not full-time professor, but practiced their profession on the side.
In addition to the Powerpoint presentations, you had to buy the teaching materials or you could borrow them, which was also very expensive (sometimes up to $ 150 per book)! The classes had a size of 30 to 70 students, in which the professors taught frontally or we did group work. In each subject there were house expenses that were queried in weekly quizzes. In each course a total of 3-5 exams were written, term papers were handed in and presentations were given. I was able to schedule my courses so that I had four days of university, with some of the lectures going on until 9.45pm. So there was always something to do. Visit jibin123.com to get information about vocational training in India.
The CSUF has a very good reputation in terms of business. Approximately 37,000 students are currently studying there, including around 1,300 international students from 79 countries.
Because tuition fees are so high and many American students have to finance their studies themselves, it is not uncommon for them to work full-time on the side, which makes it difficult to develop personal relationships.
There are also a lot of German students. If you attach great importance to improving your English, you should really pay attention to an international group of friends.
There are umpteen different apartment complexes or student residences around the university. I also lived there in such a complex near the university (Homestead Apartments), where I felt very comfortable. There were a lot of students in this complex and you got to know a lot of new people. The four of us lived in our apartment, and two girls always shared a room, otherwise one would not have been able to afford the rent of around $ 1,900 warm. But since we had a large living room and life happened everywhere but not in the bedroom, that wasn’t a problem at all. In Fullerton there is an action called “American Friendship”. This is where families hand in their old furniture and make them available to international students. So we were able to fully equip our apartment,
A car is almost indispensable in the USA, as the transport network is barely or nonexistent. We rented a car with our flat share from a dealer in San Diego long term (4 months for $ 2,000), which was the perfect solution for us. In terms of price, it was ok and we had the assurance that the car was in good condition and that we would not have had to sell it again in the end.
Fun:
California itself is pure fun! Especially in the summer months, you can always do great things in the sun. For example, we drove to different beaches several times (by car from 20 minutes upwards), made barbecues or relaxed by the pool (many apartment complexes have barbecue areas and pools). LA and thus Hollywood are only about 30-40 minutes away and San Diego is definitely worth a day trip with about 2.5 hours away. If you are in the mood for amusement parks, you have more than enough choice here. From Disneyland in Anaheim to Universal Studios. Or you simply drive to the huge shopping malls or outlets for shopping.
In Fullerton Downtown you can go out and party, but the offer is not that great.
Costs:
California and the USA are actually more expensive than Germany in terms of studies and life. The airfare there and back costs about € 1,000, the tuition fees including health insurance amounted to US $ 5,100 (which is relatively cheap by American university standards!). Our apartment, in which the four of us lived (bedrooms were shared with 2 people each) cost around US $ 1,900 per month. Then you should plan to have a car, but it can also be shared (cost around US $ 2,000 for 4 months). So if you want to enjoy the semester and experience something (which is usually associated with spending money) you should plan around 10,000 €.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, I can say that I only took positive memories with me from my semester abroad. I am simply fascinated and overwhelmed by the country and the openness of the people. You can experience so many great things and learn a lot personally.
I can recommend the university to others because, in my opinion, the professors have taught well and sometimes try to establish a personal bond with the students, which I found very pleasant. The CSUF International Office also looked after us very well and answered all of our questions.
However, the costs should not be underestimated. Without much travel, you should expect around 10,000 €, with the tuition fees and the flights being the largest items.
