General information about me
I am a dual student in a large corporation and have been to the CSUF with two other dual students. I am doing my dual studies in business informatics specializing in application development. Since no one from our group has ever done a semester abroad in the USA, the three of us started the matter without any previous experience or tips.
In addition to the flight that you should book in good time, the application for a visa is also pending. A fee of around 200-300 € (with SEVIS) is due for this and you have to go directly to one of the American embassies. We commuted to Berlin for about 2 hours and were on our way home within 5 minutes after the security checks. A valid passport must of course be available for the visa and entry.
Accommodation
We lived together in the University Village (UV). So we only had to cross the street once and were immediately on campus. Basically, the UV can be recommended. You can eat warm twice a day on weekdays and there is also a salad bar. Furthermore, someone is always available at reception or by phone and can rush to help. The so-called “Resident Advisors” are normal students and live in the houses. You are responsible for various topics in the organization and, for example, plan various events for all residents. However, a lot of Germans were in the UV and fewer locals. Many Koreans, some Columbians and French were also there. So all in all a motley mix. It should be noted that although it is “furnished” it also means that no cutlery, no bedding and no vacuum cleaner, iron or ironing board are available. Furthermore, at the beginning it is checked which defects the apartment has and at the end, after a renewed inspection, the defects are compared and deducted from the deposit. Tip: Be very petty at the beginning, otherwise you won’t see much of your deposit in the end. In addition, the internet only works sometimes and having your own connection is quite expensive.
If you prefer to cook yourself, the Homestead is recommended. Picadilly Square is also an option. Both institutions are also very close to the university.
University and course content
My courses:
- Principles of Management & Operations (MGMT – Management)
- Systems Analysis and Design (Information Systems and Decision Systems – ISDS)
- Senior Project: Information Systems Development (also ISDS)
- Linux & Open Source Systems (CPSC – Computer Science)
I would like to explain my 2.3 for the study conditions here – the problem is the beginning. I had applied for around 16 courses in advance (3 alternative courses for each of the 4 courses). Unfortunately, shortly before the start, I had to find out that I hadn’t gotten into any. For my two colleagues, 1 of the 16 courses was successful. On site, you get the feeling of serving as a gap filler to fill in the remaining study places that have not been given to Americans. The International Office (the people who are responsible for you international) are aware of this but cannot change anything. Ultimately, the problem lies in the fact that the international students cannot access the online system directly, so that a course application runs through the lecturer. The lecturer must then be begged with paper and pen so that one can still attend the course (this is called course crashing). Unfortunately, the courses are often already full and Americans are on the waiting list. That’s why I attended an estimated 15 selected courses in the first week and had real problems fulfilling my university expectation courses. The Computer Science courses in particular are totally overcrowded. The number of participants is largely limited by the fire regulations of the rooms. The Computer Science courses in particular are totally overcrowded. The number of participants is largely limited by the fire regulations of the rooms. The Computer Science courses in particular are totally overcrowded. The number of participants is largely limited by the fire regulations of the rooms. Check existingcountries to see more reviews from current students.
Once you’ve got your courses, the rest shouldn’t be a problem anymore. For the most part, my courses were very interesting and feasible from the workload, even if it was at a high level and constant level. However, one should pay attention to the lecturers, as the grading varies from course to course.
Everyday life and free time
We bought a car and had some problems selling the papers because of a failed emissions test. Ultimately, we would probably have gotten away better with a rental car. For traveling the USA (west coast) Fullerton is exactly the right place. It is located in the southern part of LA and therefore Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, San Diego and San Francisco are easily accessible. DTF (Downtown Fullerton) is about 10 minutes by taxi from the university. There are a few bars and discos there, which, like everywhere in California, have to close at 2 a.m. You can also join one of the student associations there if you are interested.
Overall conclusion
All in all, the time in the USA was very nice and I can definitely recommend the CSUF. I’ve seen a lot of the west coast and still brought good grades back to my home university 🙂
