University of California, Berkeley Student Review
A few weeks have now passed since my stay abroad in Berkeley and I don’t want to miss these experiences again. Looking back, it was a great time there and I was able to gain a lot of new experiences and impressions. I was particularly impressed with the university and campus in Berkeley. Although it was the semester break, one could gather many impressions of the student life in America. The size of the campus and the respective buildings is really impressive. I was especially fascinated by the huge library. Seeing this from the inside was an experience in itself.
Since I only took one course, I cannot give any general information about the lectures, but the impressions I was able to collect were very formative. The lecture was based on the collaboration and participation of the students, as many experiences were shared and discussion groups were encouraged. The many examples given by the students made many topics clearer and easier to understand. Topics such as “Equal Employment Opportunity Law”, “Managing Diversity”, “Appraising and Managing Performance” and “Training the Workforce” were introduced with current examples from large and well-known companies. Based on the documents that you had to organize yourself beforehand and prepare before each lesson, the topics were dealt with in more detail. Any costs, such as Textbook and Course Pack.
The professor attached great importance to the fact that every student should participate and collaborate. That is why it was also important to prepare well for the next lesson after class, as it also accepted students who did not answer. Since participation and participation in the discussions made up part of the grade, one had to prepare inevitably if one wanted to pass the course. For the professor, it was very important that all course participants obeyed rules that were intended to facilitate collaboration, such as arriving on time for class and not using mobile phones / laptops / tablets during class. The final grade consists of attendance and participation in the class, a group presentation and an individual elaboration on the group presentation.
What I particularly liked was the cultural mix in this course. Many of the topics that we had worked out were different in some countries. These cultural differences were very interesting. I learned from other students who took several courses per session that in these courses the professor only presented his / her script and two exams had to be written. Accordingly, there are differences from course to course and from professor to professor in terms of the expenses and efforts that one has to invest. To be honest, I am glad I only took one course, as it was so time-consuming and labor-intensive and anything but easy. Another course would not have been in line with my intention on this trip, because the university was not my main focus. I wanted to see the country, get to know people and gain new experience abroad. On the other hand, this decision to only take one course was also associated with some disadvantages. It includes some barriers to entry. The main reason in this case is no longer studying, but traveling. For two courses you have to apply for a visa and count as a full-time student, for only one course you do not need a visa and are considered a tourist. Both certainly have their advantages and disadvantages, which you have to weigh for yourself. but traveling. For two courses you have to apply for a visa and count as a full-time student, for only one course you do not need a visa and are considered a tourist. Both certainly have their advantages and disadvantages, which you have to weigh for yourself. but traveling. For two courses you have to apply for a visa and count as a full-time student, for only one course you do not need a visa and are considered a tourist. Both certainly have their advantages and disadvantages, which you have to weigh for yourself.
I can only recommend the accommodation in which I stayed. It is definitely not the cheapest option, but the International House offers many advantages. On the one hand, there is a dining room, so you don’t have to leave the i-House to eat. The buffet always offers a large selection, even vegetarians and vegans can choose between different dishes. The quality of the food was mostly good, although it was partly very reminiscent of canteen food. There was always fresh fruit and a salad bar, so there was something for everyone. The i-House Café is also recommended, especially because the residents there have US $ 50 credit on their student cards. The rooms were not particularly large but perfectly adequate. On the other hand, the location speaks for the i-House. The area is safe and not far from the business school. The reception is always manned and at night there is a security guard who takes care of the safety of the guests. The i-House offers the perfect opportunity to get to know many people from other countries.
All in all, it was a memorable time in Berkeley and I would go back again and again.
