University: University of California Riverside
City: Riverside
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
Dear students,
I am sure you are currently facing the difficult decision that caused me sleepless nights two years before my stay abroad: In which country do I want to complete my semester abroad? Which university is right for me? Where will I live during the semester abroad? can i find friends there Do I need a car locally, if so, is it better to buy one or rent one? How much money do I have to budget for? You all notice the same questions that arise before such an important decision. First of all, I would like to let you know if you are asking yourself exactly these questions, since you are well prepared and well on your way to tackling a semester abroad. I am currently studying business administration at the University of Cologne in the 8th semester for a diploma and for me from the beginning of my studies it was clearly to complete a semester abroad in another country. Why did I choose the University of California, Riverside (UCR)? First of all, it was important for me to travel to a country where I feel comfortable, where I have the opportunity to get to know a new culture, make friends and where the university has a good reputation. Conversations with professors, experiences from other students have shown that it has to be California! Now I was faced with the difficult decision to choose from a large number of universities in Cal. It was precisely the points “foreign culture” and “getting to know people in this culture” that drew me to Riverside. Many students who studied at the other universities in California told me that you sat in courses that were mostly only taken by Germans and had difficulties getting to know American friends. That was a no-go for me! UCR is a university that, in my opinion, is not chosen by as many Germans as other universities in California. I think for the reason that many students prefer to be right next to the sea, choose the university after a well-known place etc. Visit iamaccepted.com to get information about California State University Chico study abroad program.
The University of California, Riverside initially seems unknown to many, in contrast to universities such as UCLA in Los Angeles or Stanford or Berkeley. As it turned out, however, the UCR is a university that is becoming better known because of its good research, the professors, cooperation with UCLA and can keep up with the top universities mentioned above in the future. I was told this by many professors in Germany. So you can rest assured that you are studying at a top university that will become more and more popular in the future and will continue to rise in the rankings. You will also get that on site!
The big day had come and I said goodbye to my beloved Cologne for 6 months. After a flight of many hours, I was already over there and was standing at LAX airport without an apartment or a car. (1st tip: take the Flyaway Shuttle from LAX to Union Station and take the train to Riverside as opposed to taking the overpriced UCR shuttle). I quickly found an apartment and was lucky enough to live with two Americans and a Chinese woman. Thanks to the great apartment, each of us had our own bathroom and bedroom. (Tip 2: look for an apartment on site and rent a hotel for the first few days, you’ll find an apartment quickly and you won’t fall flat on your face if you’ve booked something in advance). The next important point was the car. First of all: a car is a must in the USA, on the other hand you really have problems to reach places etc.! Many are faced with the decision to buy a car. I can only advise against this, unless you are extremely willing to take risks. A rental car certainly means digging deeper into your wallet, but you are on the safe side with insurance and if something is defective on the car, it will be replaced quickly (3rd tip: rather pay more and rent a car). Finding friends is not a problem here, you will quickly get to know both international students who are in the same situation as you at the moment and Americans who are very sociable by nature. I’ve made such big and deep friendships here in America which will certainly not be limited to the period of the semester abroad. However, I have to get rid of one negative section now and this is the choice of subjects and organization at the UCR for us international students. Do not assume that you will get all the campus courses that you have decided on in advance. Unfortunately, we international students are treated like the “last wheel” there and can only take campus courses if the course still has capacity. This is not often the case. The DEAN at the university has the last word and decides whether you will be enrolled in the course or not. “Fight” in this case! (4th tip: don’t just commit yourself to 3 or 4 courses, but try to set up a flexible course plan ahead of time, then you have a better chance of getting into the courses)
However, extension courses are not a problem, you can always get in there! This is certainly a point that should be announced in advance by the UCR and should be better organised. Nevertheless, your contact persons on site are always ready to help you where they can!
You will quickly notice that the level in the courses is different than in Germany and don’t be surprised if you find a lot of “A”s on your transcript at the end of the term. : )
Looking back, I’m more than happy I chose UCR after checking out many local colleges in Cal. The UCR has a beautiful campus, you get more of America’s culture here than in other cities and has the advantage that you can visit many beautiful places very quickly from Riverside. (Beach : ) 30min drive, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Los Angeles, National Parks etc. ). I can only recommend the UCR to you and am sure that the best time in your life is ahead of you. You’ll notice that at the latest when you get back on the plane to Germany, look out the window, you take off and have a big lump in your throat and would like to go back immediately : ) Finally, I don’t want to forget myself at MicroEdu and especially to thank Aline Meyer, who did a great job preparing and answered many of my questions that made my studies here easier. Thanks!
I am happy to answer any further questions you may have and ask MicroEdu for my contact details!
Have fun during your stay abroad!
Take care and have fun guys, Jonas
