Experience report: California State University Los Angeles

Our student intern Sarah takes you on an exciting journey: Four months at California State University Los Angeles. In her experience report, she reveals the most important insider tips on campus life.

Life on campus

Living on campus at California State University Los Angeles was an exciting and varied experience. I lived in an eight-person shared flat in one of the five student complexes for over-21s, equipped with a communal kitchen, a storage room with an additional fridge and a cosy living room. I shared my room with a roommate - we each had a desk, a bed and a wardrobe. The laundry room in the house was shared. Students under the age of 21 lived in the dorms, where they shared their room with one other person. With my meal plan, I was able to eat in the Dining Hall five times a week, which I mostly took advantage of in the evenings. There were also fast food restaurants on campus and lots of snack stores offering sandwiches and fresh salads. I was also able to use the gym free of charge and had access to numerous leisure facilities such as a soccer stadium, tennis courts and a swimming pool. With a semester ticket, which I was able to purchase cheaply through the university, exploring Los Angeles with the nearby metro stations was a real pleasure.

The lectures

My lectures at California State University Los Angeles were just as varied as the rest of campus life. I took four business courses, all of which were geared towards the world of work - and you could feel that in the course structure. Most of the business lectures took place in the evening, from 6pm to 8:45pm, as many of my fellow students were already working. Three of my four courses took place in the evening, while one took place at lunchtime. This gave me plenty of time during the day to concentrate on homework or explore Los Angeles. I was particularly impressed by the openness of the professors, who always took the time to answer questions before or after lectures or to listen to personal concerns. This closeness and support made learning even more valuable and reinforced the feeling of being truly integrated into everyday academic life.

Insurance protection abroad

For my semester abroad, I decided to play it safe with CareMed GmbH and take out the all-round package. In addition to travel health insurance, it also included travel liability, accident, emergency and luggage insurance. In view of the high travel costs, travel cancellation insurance was also an absolute must for me. Particularly practical: the insurance is also recognised for the F1 visa. Fortunately, I never had to make use of the insurance, but it gave me the security of being relaxed and worry-free during my stay.

You can find all the information you need about the right insurance for your semester abroad here.