This was the closest state school to me which made it appealing because I could save money and also attend a decent school. They had the major I wanted which made sense to me. I also liked the idea of a big school but a small program. The school has 40,000 people but my program I see the same faces in most classes.
Course Curriculum
I really like what I’ve been learning so far. I think my high school was harder, but I’m learning things that are at least interesting to me and I think that means something. I’m not struggling but I’m learning and I think that’s how a school should be.
Faculty
Some of the faculty seems odd, especially when they have non-native English speakers who’s can’t write overly well-teaching journalism classes. But honestly, nothing slowed me down when it comes to faculty.
Accommodation
I live at home to save money. I also typically bring food to school. On-campus living is VERY pricy and off campus is a little less but still too much for living in the suburbs. I would like to move closer to campus but am dreading paying for it.
Exams
My SAT score was 1220 because I only took it once and didn’t want to take it again. I didn’t take any other tests. It was required that you take either the SAT or ACT for admission but I don’t think there was a minimum score you had to get. Like many state schools, if you live close you can have a generally lower test score than if you’re coming from out of the area.
Fees
I believe it costs around $7k a year to attend full time. I did not get any loans or scholarships to cover this. I am not international so I’m not sure, but my guess is the resources are limited due to this being a state school. Financial aid is first allocated to California residents and then whatever is left can go to others.
Examination Structure
I honestly don’t have a million exams here. A lot of our finals are online or essays instead of tests which I love. The tests are typically multiple-choice too which is fantastic.
