I’ve always wanted to go to the USA. But don’t just go on vacation there and walk through New York as a tourist and take photos of skyscrapers; no, I wanted to live there and feel the “American way of life” , immerse myself in the culture and everyday life and fade in. Again and again I put off planning such a stay abroad because it was so much effort and so much money . However, once you take it easy, with the help of Thembaprograms.com it is not that difficult.
Application process
And even if the application process seems long and difficult, in the end it is worthwhile to hold the acceptance for the university in your hands. For proof of language proficiency, I can recommend the DAAD language test , as this is significantly cheaper than a TOEFL or IELTS , but is still viewed in the same way. As soon as you have the approval, you can start the next steps, such as: Visa , flights, Vaccinations, etc. For the flight search I can definitely recommend the organization STA Travel, because you have to set the return flight once and then change it once, for example if you want to stay longer in beautiful Fullerton.
Accommodation search
Since I didn’t feel like looking for a stressful place to stay on site and didn’t want to spend the first few days in a hotel but in my own room straight away, I looked for a suitable place to stay on the internet beforehand. In the end, I decided on the University Village . At first glance it looks expensive at at least $ 1000 a month, but from Monday to Friday you have two meals a day included and you have your own room. As the name suggests, it’s like being in a small village and by the end of the day you know everyone there. But it was definitely the right decision because, on the whole, I couldn’t have felt more comfortable.
Studies, courses & on-site support
Before you have a permanent place in the courses, you can submit a “wish list” online. I decided on four courses that I could have credited in Germany . Unfortunately, I was only given one course from my list, which I unfortunately had to leave again because I did not have the so-called “corequisite”, ie a course that you have to attend at the same time. So now I was standing there without a course, by which time many of my friends had almost all of the courses safely. With the class crashing, the first two weeks are definitely the most stressful weeks of the entire semester. However, as an international student, you are well looked after by the International Officeand so far nobody has not had four courses by the deadline. I had the following courses on my weekly schedule:
Principles of Macroeconomics (ECON 202)
The International Economy (ECON 335)
Intermediate Business Microeconomics (ECON 315)
Managerial Accounting (ACCT 201B)
I was more than satisfied with all of the courses and the content and the way in which the material is taught was totally interesting. What I enjoy most is managerial accounting , which can be compared to internal accounting in Germany, because in this course you had something to learn almost every day, but you understood the material super quickly and really solved the tasks after a short time Was fun.
If you have any questions as an international student, the CP-200 is the right reference point. You are literally warmly welcome there at any time and all questions are answered calmly and explicitly.
Leisure and excursion possibilities
Just as it should be on an American campus , you will find everything you need there. Places I went to often were, of course, the building where my courses took place, the TSU (Titan Student Union), where you could meet to study, eat, billiards or bowling, and the gym . In general, I was really excited about this campus . You never got bored and there was always an opportunity to keep yourself busy. Above all, I was enthusiastic about the gym, as it had its own triple gym, a running track, a pool and many more, it was just huge.
I found the sports events on campus particularly exciting . Since I play basketball myself, I watched all basketball games and was thrilled by the great atmosphere every time. Baseball games, on the other hand, were less exciting, but always a good reason to meet up with friends, chat and watch the Titans win at the same time. All home games are free for students .
During spring break, I and three other people decided to go on a big, week-long road trip . We rented a car for this week and mostly camped out on campsites. Our trip first went up to San Francisco, then right over through Nevada to Utah, down to the Four Corners Monument and from there through Arizona back to Southern California. The tour was definitely the most blatant and breathtaking thing I have ever done and experienced .
Conclusion
Without exaggerating, I can say that the semester was probably the best time of my life . I will never forget all the people, the experiences and memories.
