I study at the University of Lüneburg Major: Business Administration with a focus on marketing and Minor Economics. My 5th semester I have at the California State University, Fullerton spent. From the beginning of my studies at I had the desire to be a semester abroad to spend (preferably in an English speaking country).
Planning
Basically I have the plans very early on started (the end of the 2nd semester), because for me it has always been top priority to complete the study on the Leuphana in the normal period of six semesters. For this reason I have courses that I could not possibly completed abroad, preferred in the third semester. My advice at this point: Checks best right in the first semester, when and what courses are offered at your home university and then schedules accordingly thereafter.
Because of the really positive advice I then quickly opted for the California State University, Fullerton. Parallel to the application on MicroEDU I applied also high school intern for exchange programs, could there but ultimately not get a place. In retrospect, I have to say that I about this decision more than happy and glad I that my choice has fallen on the CSUF. Read more student reviews on Act-test-centers.
The application through MicroEDU was doing incredibly quickly and successfully. You will of MicroEDU in every way support received, so that the whole administration (application, Visa, syllabus, course selection, housing is) really very simplified. At this point again: Thank you very much!
The commitment I received directly from the CSUF by mail in December 2015. Other important documents, especially for the visa, I received a few weeks later by post. Then in August 2016 I was actually after all the preparations on the flight to LA and started my big adventure in California !
Reside
I lived in the University Village with two Americans and would wholeheartedly recommend the UV to anyone going to Fullerton. There are different room sizes offered by the UV (Standard, Large and Deluxe with their own shower and toilet). I decided on a standard room, which ultimately turned out to be absolutely sufficient. The monthly rent of almost $ 1000 included a furnished room (bed, desk, open wardrobe) and a comfortably furnished living room with TV and sofa. The big advantage here was that no great effort had to be made when purchasing furniture for moving in and moving out. Really very easy!The cafeteria, which was operated by the University Village itself, was also included in the rent. From Monday to Friday you could eat here twice a day. You could decide flexibly every day which meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) you would like to go to. The food of the Mexican chefs was varied and absolutely delicious! There was also a salad bar every day, which also allowed for a healthy diet.;) At first glance, the monthly rent of almost $ 1000 may put you off, but if you rent something yourself, you will have to pay a rent of almost $ 500-600 + groceries that are really very expensive in California by German standards. In the end, you’ll pay at least the same amount per month, and tend to be more.
A little tip: apply for the UV as early as possible, because only a limited number of contracts are offered for one semester. After that you have to sign annual contracts, which makes no sense for a semester. I received an acceptance myself in February 2016. You will probably read often that many Germans are supposed to live in the UV. I can sign that. All in all, however, the UV is still very international (Koreans, Japanese, Chinese, Brazilians, Americans, Norwegians), so that you come into contact with other nationalities very quickly. I have to say that from the start I tried to make contact with internationals and not with Germans. The result: lots of new friends from all corners of the world (USA, England, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Japan, Korea, China, France), new perspectives and I was able to improve my English a lot because I spoke it every day.
University
The campus is totally “American” as you know it from films. The sports complex with a baseball stadium, soccer stadium, softball stadium, several tennis courts, a gym for basketball and volleyball and the recreation center is so impressive that I was amazed when I first explored the campus. There are also several Starbucks, various fast food chains and a huge library on campus – American standards!
In 2016 I took the following four courses:
MKTG 445: Strategic Internet Marketing (S. Atkins)
Interesting course that covered pretty much all facets of internet marketing. Different business cases from the professor’s consulting firm were presented every week. The course was supplemented by various guest speakers who gave practical insights into topics such as WordPress, Google AdWords, SEO / SEA Marketing. Professor Atkins was very interested in the international students, so at the end of the semester he actually invited the internationals to his home for a BBQ. In my opinion, there will never be something like this in Germany and it is an indication of how much more personal the relationship between students and professors is in the USA.
MKTG 401: Professional Selling (H. Gordon)
This course gave an overview of the professional selling of products in B2C + B2B. The entire sales process from acquisition to the customer follow-up meeting was outlined. Various techniques for setting up and conducting a sales pitch were also part of this course. Improving soft skills such as presentation techniques and communication skills could also be achieved in this course. Professor Gordon himself has many years of experience as a sales representative and sales manager in the mortgage industry, which he repeatedly brought to the course. In this course, too, various guest speakers (Verizon, AT&T, Henry Schein, Liberty Mutual, Staples) presented content on topics such as “how to close a deal”.
MGMT 444: Project Management (P. Sairafian)
Very labor intensive course that presented all phases of a project. There were weekly assignments and quizzes in this course. Even if this course was quite complex, I was able to learn a lot about project management and even get my first experience with MS Project.
ECON 335: International Economy (H.Pan)
This economics course dealt with international trade between countries. Previous knowledge of microeconomics is helpful for this course, as a lot has been modeled (Ricardo model, Heckscher-Ohlin model). In addition to “International Trade”, “International Finance” were also presented (Balance of Payments, Foreign Exchange Market, Exchanges Rates). With previous knowledge of micro (e.g. indifference curves), this course did not pose any great difficulties for me.
Travel
University during the week, traveling at the weekend, that was practically how the weeks in California looked to me. I didn’t have my own car, but we regularly rented a car for the weekend and then distributed it to the number of people (usually 5 people) so that the costs were really within reasonable limits and we could travel relatively cheaply. Twice we even rented a 7 seater, which always resembled a party car from the atmosphere in the car.;)
During my time in California I felt that I saw a lot of what there is to see on the west coast and yet one should free oneself from the thought of being able to see everything. We went on weekend trips to San Diego, San Francisco, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Joshua Tree National Park, Yosemite NP and Mexico. I could write for hours about what breathtaking trips each individual was and still it is difficult for me to say which I liked the most because the impressions I gained there were indescribable for me.
On Fall Break, I took a trip to Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon, Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell, Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park. I can absolutely recommend this route, because you will be overwhelmed by nature. My absolute favorite was Bryce Canyon.
Between Christmas and New Years, I traveled to Seattle by car with a friend. On the way we stopped in Portland and the Crater Lake National Park (note: snow chains required this time of year) before we arrived in Seattle. I was able to fulfill a dream there: visiting an NFL game by the Seattle Seahawks (unbelievable what the atmosphere was at CenturyLink Field, the Seahawks’ stadium).
The crowning glory of my semester was a 10-day trip to Hawaii (Oahu and Maui). If you have the opportunity to fly to Hawaii, I would recommend it to everyone, because one thing is certain: You will find pure sun, sand and nature. In addition, Hawaii also offers some really worth seeing hikes. Should you fly to Maui, watch the sunrise over the clouds in Haleakala National Park (breathtaking!).
Tips
Apply for foreign student loans, even if you do not receive student loans in Germany
In order to prepare yourself for the class crashing, it is best to try to define an alternative course in Germany that you can choose in the worst case scenario
Buy the “America the Beautiful” pass ($ 80), which gives you a full year entry to all NPs in the USA
Try to make as many international contacts as possible. Your English will improve noticeably over the entire semester
Last but not least: Go to In-N-Out Burger often enough so that you don’t immediately miss it in Germany;-)
Conclusion
In summary, I have to say that the semester has already cost me a lot of money, but for me the experiences on site are simply not measurable in money and therefore unaffordable. Every cent invested was worth it, I would want to experience a semester like this again in a heartbeat. You will have the time of your life!
All in all, I wish all those who are about to embark on their great adventure “Cal State Fullerton” a great stay in California, enjoy your semester abroad, because time goes by faster than you can imagine! In this sense: One Semester a TITAN!
