University: California State University Long Beach
City: Long Beach
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: computer science
Study type: semester abroad
Overall, this was my third semester at California State University Long Beach and my second semester in my Master of Science ( Computer Science ), in other words: I’ve already spent a bit of time in Long Beach. First of all, one of the most important points: Housing. See andyeducation.com for information about Christian Albrecht University of Kiel.
Accommodation in Long Beach
Housing and living is comparatively expensive in Long Beach and generally in Los Angeles County. So you’ll automatically have to lower your standards a bit, because you just can’t get your own room in Long Beach for $400. I highly recommend Student Housing Elizabeth Manor to everyone. I spent my entire time in the USA there and enjoyed every semester. Every semester you got to know new, great interesting faces. The house accommodates 13 students, each with their own room, which is already fully furnished. You share a bathroom with four to five people, which is super easy to manage. Two rooms even have their own bathroom, so if you’re fast enough and maybe want to pay a few bucks more per month, you can have your own room with a private bathroom. But the biggest advantage over apartment complexes like Beverly Plaza or Alvista is that you don’t have to worry about any furnishings. Both the room and the living room and the kitchen are fully furnished and you can use everything at no extra charge. The landlady Yarina is a kind soul and will become your American mother, because in the first few days she will show you Hollywood, Long Beach and other exciting places in the area. No matter who you ask from the house, everyone will recommend the house to you. The roommates quickly become family with whom you make spring break or fall break trips. This semester we were traveling with nine people in the national parks of the western USA.
Courses
Although I’ve had almost two years of CSU Long Beach behind me, I can’t make any general statements about the quality of the lectures. In my area there was enough choice and the lectures were mostly quite good. There are a few courses I can recommend if you don’t want to spend too much effort on a 1.0. Otherwise, the university is very well known for nursing, rather less well known for business and economics. But that doesn’t mean that the lectures in this area are necessarily bad.
Getting around Long Beach
You will also hear a lot of different statements about getting around Long Beach: Some say that you can get everywhere by bus (am I one of them), for others a car is a must and still others say that a bicycle is everything solves problems. The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. You can definitely get most of it covered by bike, but depending on the location, the bus is hardly any worse (especially free). I bought a bike in February and I don’t regret making a small loss over the year. With a car or motorcycle you move differently and do different things. But it is absolutely not a must, as you can reach everything by bike, public transport or simply with Uber.
Freetime activities
Otherwise, life in Long Beach is very pleasant. People are very friendly and open to different nationalities and opinions. There’s a lot to do in Long Beach, but you’ll be busy exploring the university for the first week anyway. The university has a student union where you can go bowling or play pool, for example. In the US it’s important to always be on the lookout for specials and offers, for example going to the movies and eating tacos on Tuesdays can save you 50%. In America, a large part runs through such deals.
Conclusion
All in all, I can only recommend a semester abroad or an entire course of study at the CSULB. You will definitely have the time of your life and also get very interesting insights into American culture. Long Beach is famous for its diversity of cultures and internationality. This is also evident in the many clubs on campus, because the majority of the people are not originally American themselves. After almost two years at CSULB, Elizabeth Manor (the student house) and Long Beach, I am 100% happy with my choices and have absolutely no regrets going to the US. If you have any questions, just get in touch with MicroEdu give my contact details and we can write via WhatsApp/Facebook.
