This summer I did a Summer Session (Session C) at the University of California from August 7th to September 15th. The aim of this six-week stay abroad was on the one hand to improve my knowledge of English and to attend two courses at UCLA.
Registration for this summer session took place in March of this year. It took the form that I had to fill out various forms, which I then sent to an agency in Germany. This subsequently established contact with UCLA and took care of all matters related to my stay. The two most important tasks that I had to fulfill were on the one hand booking a suitable flight and obtaining a visa. I was always able to contact the agency if I had any questions or were not clear. This was very important to me, especially with regard to the visa. About three months before the start of the stay abroad, each participant received an information package containing many important and interesting things about UCLA. (Sketch from campus, Course sheet, insurance, etc.) In summary, the following should be mentioned for registration: little effort for the student; the agency does almost everything.
On August 6th I flew from Munich via Paris to Los Angeles. There were no problems entering America. I took a shuttle from the airport in Los Angeles to the accommodation (Rieber Hall). I received a very friendly welcome at the accommodation and check-in went smoothly. On August 7th there was an orientation event in which we were told everything important about behavior (laws regarding alcohol and smoking) and about staying. Information about the courses was available on the one hand on the Internet and on the other in the agency’s information package (building, room).
I have chosen the Rieber Hall as my accommodation for my stay abroad. This is on campus. Advantages of this accommodation are both the proximity to the campus and the possibility to eat there. Disadvantages relate mainly to the relatively small rooms. In contrast to this, there is also the option of living off-campus. The advantage of this is a much higher quality of living (larger rooms, more homely, more comfortable), but you have to provide for yourself (including kitchen) or buy food in the Rieber Hall. But the way to the campus is hardly further. In the end, this means that on-campus (Rieber Hall) and off-campus (Saxon Suite, etc.) are relatively the same in price. If I do another stay abroad at UCLA, then I would definitely choose off-campus.
On the registration form for UCLA or for accommodation you can choose whether you want to have insurance. The insurance costs around $ 170 and you will definitely be well looked after during your stay. Regarding vaccinations, it is always advisable to contact your family doctor. Check liuxers to see more reviews from current students.
I took two courses at the University of California. This number of courses is recommended in other experience reports or on the homepage. One of my courses dealt with the topic of “Financial Statement Analysis”. This course turned out to be extremely time-consuming (lots of homework and case studies) and very demanding. This course took place every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. For each of these appointments we had to prepare a homework as well as a case study for the chapter discussed in this lesson (i.e. in advance). A group was then asked to present their solution and discussed afterwards. There were 2 exams to be completed. The book used in this course is an MBA book. The professor used this book for the first time. At the beginning it was very difficult to follow the explanations and explanations given by the author. However, the explanations in the class cleared up all misunderstandings. The University of Linz recognizes this course for the introductory course in the field of financing “Course Corporate Financing”. I liked this course very much because the professor made it very interesting. The professor always tried to speak slowly and clearly. In terms of effort, working hours and learning time, this course is very high up.
The second course I took at the University of California is Intermediate Financial Accounting II. In this course we dealt with the areas of pensions, taxes, cash flow analysis, leasing and equity in relation to the balance sheet. I can have this course credited to me as a free elective as part of the 2nd section of economics studies. This course took place on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. In addition to four case studies that we had to work on in groups, two exams had to be completed. I also liked this course, but I often had problems following the professor’s explanations.
The language of instruction in both courses was of course English. The examination procedure is very similar to that of the University of Linz. There is a large library and smaller specialist libraries. I copied the relevant chapters for my courses in the “Management” specialist library. There are a number of ways to buy stationery and groceries on campus. In contrast to the Kepler Card in Linz, UCLA has a Bruin Card (same function).
In addition to completing two courses at UCLA, it was also very important to me to improve my English skills, to get to know America and its people better, and to establish contacts with students from other countries. I was able to improve my English skills mainly in group work at the university and in many discussions and conversations with locals. I’ve found the people of California to be extremely sociable, friendly, courteous, and polite. Whether in a taxi, bus or subway, you can talk to them very quickly and thus always have the opportunity to speak English. I liked Los Angeles very much. Downtown LA in particular is extremely impressive. UCLA’s campus is huge and beautiful. All the buildings and gardens are impressive. The range of sports on offer and the large number of sports facilities cannot be compared with Austrian universities. This summer session also enabled me to establish contacts with students from America, Brazil, Japan and many other countries.
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay in California. I’ve learned a lot, had great experiences and I associate unforgettable experiences with America, UCLA and the people there.
