I decided to rent an Airbnb via Airbnb.com. I initially rented the room for a month to see what the location was like and whether the accommodation was suitable for me. The Airbnb was in Lake Forest, the area is very nice and a great residential area, but the distance to the university was too far. The Airbnb is paid in advance.

A friend and I rented a car from Hertz at the airport at the beginning. It was super easy, as there was a Hertz counter right at the airport. However, the prices for car rental vary greatly. Unfortunately, renting a car in California is not cheap. Especially for drivers under the age of 25, there is always a young driver fee, which can amount to around €250 per month.

As you are usually only on campus at Westcliff two to three times a week, it is a great opportunity to explore California and the region in more detail. The region around Irvine, Orange County is beautiful and there is a lot to explore. Laguna and Newport Beach are two particularly beautiful places right by the sea.

During my semester abroad at Westcliff University, I chose four courses with 6 ECTS credits each. I focused on finance and marketing. Attendance is compulsory, which is assessed at 100% and accounts for 2% of the overall grade.
Der Umfang in den verschiedenen Kursen hängt sehr stark von den jeweiligen Professoren ab.

Your semester abroad is about to start and the anticipation is growing. In the beginning I was very overwhelmed about what exactly I should pack for 4 months. Here are a few tips from me.