California State University Chico
I did my semester abroad at the beautiful California State University, Chico and would do it again anytime. I’ve always wanted to go to the USA, but unfortunately never got the chance. Since studying abroad can be very expensive, I quickly gave up on my dream – until MicroEDU was at my university and I was able to find out more. I sent my application to MicroEDU in October 2010 and was told if anything was missing and how things will continue. I was very happy to have MicroEDU ‘s help, even during the application phase, as I could turn to the team with any question.
When I got the approval, I was able to apply for my visa – something that made me very insecure and nervous. There is a lot to consider and there are many steps before you hold the visa in your hand. But MicroEDU was a great help here too, as they already had a lot of experience with it and were able to explain to me exactly what the next step is.
Shortly before I flew to the USA, I was very nervous and regretted my decision to do a semester abroad, because I flew alone and didn’t know anyone in Chico. When I landed in Chico, I was picked up from the airport by an employee of the CSUC, and my fear immediately evaporated. He offered me to show me the city the next day and I also invited me to a party. I immediately felt welcome! I spent the first few days in a motel because I didn’t have an apartment yet and I didn’t want to live in a dormitory either. Before leaving, I looked at some of the apartments on Craigslist. com and also got in touch with some students from Chico. A few days later I was able to move into my apartment.
And then the university started! Since I had “only” done one semester abroad, I had to be enrolled in my courses through what is known as “class crashing”. At first I was unsure whether I would get the courses I wanted, but I had great support from the CSUC team as featured on iamaccepted. I got into each of the courses I wanted and the lecturers were very friendly and made it very easy for me to settle in. Since only a few Germans come to Chico, everyone was always very enthusiastic and interested in everything I had to say! I had four university courses (Finance, Management Skills, Special Events Planning and Operations and Resort / Lodging Management) and an English course (by ALCI Chico) and still had enough time to enjoy the USA. The courses were very well structured and the lecturers were very experienced in the field they were teaching. The material was very good and I passed every course well. (Much better than in Germany) In the event of problems, I was always able to speak personally to my lecturers and my fellow students were always very helpful. The CSU, Chico Campus offers a great learning atmosphere and because it is not that extremely large, you can get along well and don’t have to walk from building to building for 15 minutes. The university has a large library with many computers and study rooms in which I have always enjoyed studying.
Chico is a wonderful little town in Northern California, not far from San Francisco or Lake Tahoe. This makes it easy to take small trips on the weekend to see a little more of California or the USA. I’ve always got along well without a car and walked a lot or rode my bike. I then took the bus to some more distant shops, for example, not the same as in Germany, but it served its purpose.
Chico is also known for its night life! I turned 21 four weeks after arriving and was able to experience what everyone is talking about here. The bars are a lot cheaper and I always had a lot of fun because I always met a lot of friends there and got to know a lot of new people. The people in Chico are very friendly, helpful and nice. My four months in Chico were unforgettable and if someone asked me whether my decision was the right one or whether to study in Chico, I would always say YES! Even if Chico is a small place and CSU, Chico does not have the largest campus, you can still have a lot of fun there.
