It has now been almost 3 months since I returned to Germany from my semester abroad in the USA . Over a year ago, I decided to do a volunteer semester abroad at California State University. Your website was the perfect help for this.
Via your website
The contact with your website was great. They answered any questions I had, always responded quickly, and were always there for you. They made it really easy for you to apply . Since your website had a checklist, it was a great way to find out what to do and when. In addition, there was also a Facebook group in which the people from your website could exchange ideas with one another.
Visa
The visa to apply was quite time consuming. You have to fill out a form online to make an appointment. When you have got the appointment, you have to drive to the respective location. (I was in Frankfurt). There you have to go to 4 different counters to answer different questions, to take fingerprints etc. Then you got the visa within 1 week.
Flight
Since a good friend of mine was a flight attendant, I knew that it was best to book the flights 6 weeks in advance, as you get the cheapest prices there. We flew with Condor and the flight was really great and pleasant. We had a layover in Portland and then flew on to Long Beach.
Living
I lived with my boyfriend in the University House directly at the university. We thought for a long time where we should live during that time, and ultimately decided in favor of the UH, as everything was included here. We paid $ 1,015 per person per month. But we also had a washing machine, dryer, dishwasher, WIFI, TV, etc. in the apartment. The others who did not live in the UH then had to leave the apartment to do their laundry. In addition, there were actually cool parties at the UH and there was always something going on.
The University
The CSUF is really amazing . The campus is incredibly huge and there are incredibly different offers. Sport is also very important here. There is also a gym on campus, which we signed up for ($ 100 per semester). But THAT was really worth it. In addition, you always play basketball, soccer, squash, etc. here. There was ALWAYS something going on and you got to know a lot of people. In addition, various tournaments were held within the fitness area. There were also small parties here from time to time.
However, I also have to say that the university really took up a lot of time. Every week there were quizzes, tests, midterms, assignments and homework that were assessed and included in the grade . In addition, the class crashing at the beginning of the semester was very annoying.
Travel
Since we were unlucky with the courses (which happened to many), we had uni Monday – Friday and accordingly we didn’t have a lot of time to make long trips. On some days we went to the different beaches, to LA or to San Diegohazards. San Diego is beautiful and 10 times better than LA. San Diego is a very young city and therefore always something going on. The Universial Studios are also highly recommended. That definitely adds up to the nicest things I’ve seen in America! When we finished university, we drove to San Francisco by car and it really is an incredibly beautiful city. You should drive back on Highway 1, because the natural spectacle that is offered there cannot be put into words. In addition, you definitely have to go to Vegas (about 4.5 hours from Fullerton). The best parties were there. In any case, let a promoter speak to you there. They’re not annoying, they are VERY useful. Through them we got to the best clubs to be paid via the guest list with a free drink and without admission. Some of the clubs usually cost around € 20 entry.
Graduation
All in all, it was a really cool time there. Life there is really very expensive but it is worth it. I miss the time there very much. The weather was always great every day, the people are super friendly and you experience a lot of beautiful things.
