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Lebenslauf :: Sport :: Studium :: Familie :: USA :: Kontakt ::

Nachfolgender Erfahrungsbericht gibt vieles von den Erlebnissen wider, die ich von August 2000 bis Juni 2001 als Austauschstudentin in den USA erfahren habe. Entstanden nach meiner Rückkehr war es speziell dafür gedacht, nachfolgenden Studenten der LMU, die an dem Austauschprogramm der LMU mit der Kansas State University teilnehmen, ein paar Tips f�r einen leichteren Start zu geben. Aber ich hoffe, dass mein Bericht auch für andere, die einen Studienaufenthalt in den USA planen, interessant ist.

WIDE OPEN SPACES

K-State is a big state university in the heart of the United States. In the year 2000 there were 18000 Undergraduate Students + 4000 Graduate Students enrolled at K-State. The vast majority of the students are from Kansas or the surrounding states like Nebraska or Missouri. But there are also about 1000 international students mostly from China or India. There are 9 colleges and you can study almost everything there, excepti medicine. K-State has good academics to offer and is very proud of being ranked first among all State universities in the number of the most important national scholarships awarded. KSU is in the core of Manhattan, a city with about 50000 residents without counting the students. You can imagine that this city lives from its students and would be very boring without it. It lies near the Interstate 70, the connection to the east and west. On this freeway you can get to Kansas City in about 2 hours and Topeka, the state capital, in about 1 hour. You can find the next international airport in Kansas City .

How to finance your trip

The costs for living off-campus is comparable to the amount I paid. The rent for a room in a shared appartment with the bills for electricity, gas and telephone comes to $300-$400. I cannot tell you, how much money you will need for your living expenses, as this is provided for you in the dorms. But prices for food and groceries are generally higher than in Germany. Of course, you will need some more money, for example for going out or buying books. This is not a small amount, since you�re expected to buy all your textbooks and in most cases you really cannot do without it. I paid about $400 for that. You can sell your books at the end of the semester, but you will only get a small fraction of the money you paid and so I decided to keep them. Don�t worry about the transportation back. You can send it with a cheap bookrate.

There are still the big expenses to pay, for example for travelling or a car. Therefore you have to think ahead and save some money or make arrangements with your parents. My parents agreed to give me the same amount of money each month, that they would have given me, if I had stayed in Germany. This was enough for all the extra-expenses and I really could live good on the money I had. You can also earn some extra money in the US. As a non-resident student you are not allowed to work off-campus, but there are enough things to do on campus. There is only one restriction to that: Officially, you are a Graduate Assistant, but don�t have to work for it. This is the source where your money comes from. As a student, you are only allowed to work half-time, but your contract with the university already is a 4/10 job. That means, you are only allowed to take a 1/10 job, or in hours: 4-5 hours a week. Perhaps your department is looking for someone, who corrects homeworks and exams. Just ask your advisor about it. I applied for a job as a statistical consultant in the spring semester and was lucky. I not only earned money, but gained experience in my profession. Furthermore, you have the possibility to apply for a Fulbright travel grant. Application deadline is in December and it includes letters of recommendation and interviews. The Fulbright commission pays the roundtrip ticket and health insurance. So you would save about 800 DM for the flight and 700-900DM for insurance.

In the beginnig you will need about $900-$1200 for tuition and fees. I took $2000 in traveller checks with me, paid the tuition with it and put the rest in my new checking account. This is a good start, as you get the first rate from your scholarship not until the middle of September. If you�re living off-campus, you will probably need some more for your first rent and furniture. It is not adviseable to pay your tuition with your creditcard, as you have to pay an extra fee of $25. You usually have to pay your rent with checks, that you will get when you open your bank account. Cash transfer from one account to another is not common. In shops or restaurants it is normal to pay with a creditcard or the so called Visa-Check-Card. This is similar to the German EC-Karte. But it is also still common to pay cash.

What to organize in Germany

• Don�t wait too long with your direct application to KSU. Send it, as soon as you have completed it. I received my letter of admission approximately 3 months after sending my application.

• You should try to clarify all your questions before you come to the United States. Just contact Barry Michie with email and he will try to answer everything. He is very busy, as he is responsible for all incoming and going exchange students. But nevertheless he is eager to help you. After a while you will get to know who your advisor from your department will be. As for me, I received a letter from the statistics department shortly after I got the letter of admission. If you don�t get something like that: Ask Barry about it! Your advisor can answer you everything about your major and give you some advises which courses to take. But there is still enough time to decide about the courses after your arrival in Manhattan.

• From April/May on you can find the course schedule for the fall semester on the internet. There are also online-catalogs, in which all courses are described that K-State has to offer. Make yourself familiar with it and try to think about, which course fits best to you.

• Very important: Get a medical insurance. You should start to collect information about it 2-3 months before you leave. Compare many different insurances. You can save some hundred DM, when doing so. Just to name some insurances with which you can start with: Victoria, DKV, Vereinte� The costs for it will be about 700-900 DM for one year. Try to get an insurance confirmation in english from your insurance company with a listing of the covered services. It is hard to convince the American doctors that you are able to pay for your treatment and medication, if you don�t have an American medical insurance card.

• Apply for your visa as soon as you get your letter of admission from K-State. I applied for it in April and got it back 2 weeks later, as there is probably not much work to do for the embassy in this time of the year. It can take a little bit longer in July, when all the students want to get their visa. You will need a Reisepass, that is valid the time of your stay plus 6 months and the completed application form. The cost for it is about 100 DM.

• Apply for a creditcard in Germany (Master or Visa). You aren�t a resident of the United Sattes. So you won�t get one there.

• Book your flight it as soon as possible as you will arrive in the US in the main season. Ask your Travel Agent, if it is possible, to fly directly to Manhattan without extra costs. As far as I know, only US Air serves this airport. Otherwise, it is too expensive and you have to take a Shuttle Bus.

• Make arrangements for a place to live (see �a place to live�).

• Apply for an Urlaubssemester in the Studentenkanzlei. You need your Studienbuch and the letter of admission from K-State. As they don�t except confirmations in a foreign language, you have to translate this letter. You don�t need a professional translation, just do it on your own. For the summer semester you have to make an arrangement with a person you trust and give him the authority to act in your name in an informal letter. And don�t forget the R�ckmeldung for the summer semester.

• Clothes: The summers are very hot, up to 45� C even in September, and the winters very cold (about -20� C). Of course you can buy all things there. Actually, I bought many T-Shirts, sweaters and a jeans there. You can buy these things cheaper than in Germany, but I would recommend to take such clothes like winterjackets and boots with you. The variety for such things is not very big in Manhattan. There is one K-Mart, Wal-Mart and a Shopping Mall. When you can�t find something you like there or for the price you have in mind, you have to go to Topeka or even Kansas City.

• Electronic things are also cheaper than in Germany. For example you can buy a portable CD-Player with tape and radio for about $30. So don�t leave your favorite CD�s in Germany. The same for hairdryers, something to boil water and so on. But when you have additional room in your suitcase, take it with you. The living expenses are very high, so you are lucky when you can save some money on such things.

• Don�t take sheets of paper, folders and a hole puncher with you as the sheets have a different format. As far as pens are concerned: When you want to write with a fountain pen, take all the ink with you that you�re going to need for this year. Nobody writes with ink pens there, so you can only get it in art supply shops for a lot of money. Don�t forget scissors, a glue, a calculator, an alarm clock and, when you are living off-campus, silver ware and small kitchen utensils.

• You don�t have to bring a laptop with you. The campus is equipped fully with everything you need.

• When you are playing some sports, like soccer, tennis,� take your boots with you, but leave your racket at home. You will have the opportunity to play every sport you like. But you can rent rackets for free in the recreation center or buy it - cheaper than in Germany. When you want to go skiing, you can buy cheap clothes, like skiing pants, in Wal- or K-Mart. This would be too voluminous to take with you.

• I took a small pillow with me, a sheet for the bed and a sleeping bag. This was very useful as it takes some days till you know somebody with a car who can give you a ride to the Mall. So I could use my sleeping bag as a comforter the first days. When you plan to do some trips throughout the year you will need a sleeping bag anyway.

• Bring pictures from your family, your hometown and university with you to give your new friends an image of a typical German life.

If your final airport is Kansas City, you have to take a Shuttle Bus (KCI Roadrunner) that goes every two hours to Manhattan and costs about $40. It will take about 2 � to 3 hours. Barry Michie can book this Shuttle for you. Furthermore, he can reserve you a Guestroom in Moore Hall for the first days. More precisely, this was possible, as I came there. I heard rumors that this was abolished. But there must be a possibility to live for some days until the dorms are open. I can only give you the same advise as before: Ask Barry. But even if it is possible, you can only stay there until the weekend before classes start. Until then you will have to find another accommodation. When you are living in the dorms, you will be brought to your new house. So this is the simplest solution. When not, you must have found an apartment till this day (see �A Place To Live�). It is also possible, to move into the dorms first and then move to another place, if you have found something else. But I don�t know, if you will get a 100% refund of the money you�ve already paid. Just ask the Housing Services about it. As with everything, the best way to contact them is with email.

Another question is: When should you get there? The semester starts at the end of August. A week before that, there is an orientation for international students. You should try to arrive two or three days before this orientation. But this only holds, when you already have an apartment or will be living in the dorms. When you have to look for an apartment, I would suggest, to arrive at least one week earlier, to have enough time. But don�t be shocked: At this time there is really nobody on the campus and therefore the city is really boring. This changes as soon as all the students have arrived.

What should you do on your first days in the US? Take your time to overcome your jetlag, step by at Barry Michies office in Fairchild Hall and finish your paperwork with Connie Noble, his office manager. Get to know the campus and get your K-State-ID (Wildcat-Card). Just go into the Student Union with your letter of admission and passport. The office is next to the Commerce Bank. This should be your next stop. With a $100 deposit you can open a checking account and you will get a checkbook and your Visa-Check-Card. Don�t miss the orientation from the international student center. They will tell you some useful things about your visa, the application for the social security number and so on. Furthermore you can get to know some other students. They will introduce you to several student groups and organizations on one afternoon in this week. I want to encourage you to get in contact with a group called HIS (=Helping International Students). This is a christian organization which matches you with �American friends�. Try it out. You don�t have to meet with them, if you don�t like them. My American friends were Ben and Stephanie, a couple in my age. It is a great opportunity to get in touch with some Americans. They try to help with everything. For a friend of mine, they even provided all the furniture she needed. In the first week the international student center organizes some shopping opportunities, where a van brings you to the Mall or Wal-Mart and you can get your first things. One of these things should be a bike. You can buy a new one in Wal-Mart for about $60-100 or you can look for a used one at a yardsale on each Friday or Saturday. The yardsales are advertised in the �Manhattan Mercury�. It is very exhausting to ride a bike in Manhattan, as there are many hills, and the weather is either too hot or too cold, but the most shops are not in walking distance. You will need it to do your groceries or, if you live off-campus, to get to your lectures or to the library.

Make sure to get your K-State email-address and password. You can get it in the Computing Services in the Library. You automatically get emails from some university offices or your instructor wants to tell you that a course is cancelled or sends you the newest homework. For your convenience, you can forward these messages to another account that you check regularily. Another great resource is KATS. This is the K-State Access Technology System. You should log on there within your first days. You just need your ID-Number from your Wildcat-Card to do so. You should check the correctness of your address within this system, as all the university mail is send to this address. You can even enroll for courses online, print out your schedule or check your grades.

You need two things to be a full human being in the United States: A social security number and a drivers license. In the orientation week you will be told how to get the first one. You can get the second one in the drivers license office on Westloop. You just need your national drivers license and $15. You don�t need an international license. There is a contract between Kansas and Germany and Kansas and France, that you can get the Kansas drivers license automatically, when you have the German or French license. There is nothing like a Personalausweis in the United States, therefore the Drivers License is your ID. You need it each time you want to enter a club or bar or want to buy alcohol.

A place to live

On the whole campus there are two Dining Centers, one of them directly next to the hall you�re living in. You can choose between different meal plans: 20, 15 or 10 meals a week. I took 20 meals as the others weren�t much cheaper and I just didn�t want to worry about it. Breakfast is from 6:45am-9:40am and includes all kind of beverages, bread, fruits, yogurt, pancakes, sausages and eggs and for lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (4:45pm-6:30pm) there is always a salad-bar, varieties of burgers, french fries and pizza, two or three additional meals and delicious desserts. You can always have something without meat, but the variety on vegetarian meals is very rare. It IS good, so watch your weight. Another convenient thing about the dorms is, that you are living on campus. You can reach almost everything there within a 10 minutes walk. There is only one big disadvantage about the dorms: You have to leave your room during the breaks. That means over Thanksgiving, Christmas and Spring Break. But for me, this was not a problem, since I either travelled during these times or could stay with a friend. But in Moore Hall you can stay all the time. It is a little bit more expensive and all the other international students were living there. I would recommend to live in the dorms, but you should ask, if you can have an American roommate. This is the best way to learn the language and the culture and it is really worth the try. I know, that sharing one�s apartment with somebody is not for everyone. So there is the possibility to live in a single Jardine apartment. This is also organized by Housing Services and the application procedure is the same as for the dorms. But this is reserved for families and students older than 25 years old. You usually get the application forms for both Jardine and Residence Halls together with your letter of admission.

Finding an apartment on your own is very difficult. The American students already look for an apartment in May and so there is not much left over in August. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to get a contract for only 10 months. I met several exchange students from Giessen and they tried to find something on their own. They finally found nice apartments after some days. But they were not alone and already knew someone there with a car, who could drive them around. There are not many furnished apartments, either. So you will need a bed, table and so on. HIS can give you some of the things you will need, but don�t count on it. Keep in mind, that the quality standards for apartments are lower than here. So don�t take something, before you have seen it. Nevertheless, you should start with your search from Germany. Look at the classified-section in the newspaper (see Links) and get in contact with the exchange-student who momentarily studies at K-State. Perhaps he knows somebody who knows somebody... As for everything, you can ask Barry for his/her email-address. Some weeks after start of the courses, I�ve seen many ads in the university newspaper �The Collegian�, that were looking for a roommate. It might be a good idea, to stay in the Residence Halls first and then look at these ads, if you don�t like living in the dorms. But you should check with Housing Services first, if you can get out of your contract that easily.

Academics

There is a lot to do for your courses, so you won�t be bored. But there are different opinions on how much you have to do here. Each course has a special weight, the so called credit hours. The most courses meet 3 hours a week, sometimes with an additional lab or tutoring hour, and are worth 3 credits. An undergraduate student has to be enrolled for 12 credits, a graduate student for 9. You will have a graduate status here. There is an exception for graduate assistants. They only have to take 6 credits, as they have additional responsibilities with teaching or research. Officially you will be a graduate assistant. So I have been told from one office, that I only have to take 6 credits, but from another, that this arrangement is only taken that I can get my money, but for the records I am only a normal student and have to take 9 credits. So there was a lot of confussion when I was there. To be on the safe side, I was enrolled for 9 credits. Just inform yourself when you are there.

I would recommend to take some useful courses from your major and some for fun. Make some things that you always wanted to do, or a course that you think is useful for you, but didn�t have the time to do in Germany. For example, I needed one more course to take, but didn�t have any idea. So I sat down and looked up all the courses that are offered. You can take any course from any department. When there are some restrictions or prerequisites, it is mentioned in the course descriptions. When you are not sure, if you meet the prerequisites, just talk to the instructor. Why not taking an introductory course in computer programming, astronomy or American history? Are you curious about golf, fly fishing or anthropology? Here you have the opportunity to learn something about it. Of course you can take more courses, but as you don�t need the credits, you can just audit these courses. In many courses it is no problem and you don�t even need the permission of the instructor. But when there are only a few students in the course, you should talk to the instructor first. Some courses will already be closed when you arrive. There is nothing what you can do about it. Of course you can talk to the instructor, but there are students there who need the course to graduate, so you will have no chance. But in your second semester you can enroll for your courses early and have the chance to get in such a popular course there.

Don�t underestimate 9 or 10 credits. This sounds not much, but there is a lot of work to do. I had to submit a homework for each course per week, and had 3 to 4 exams per course in each semester !! There was even more work to do for undergraduate courses than for graduate courses. In some courses there are quizzes each week! But the level is not difficult. The graduate courses are more demanding, but there is not so much work to do. But even this is manageable. Don�t misunderstand me: You will be occupied most of your time with your studies, especially in the hot weeks at the end of the semester, but if you do what you�re expected to do, there is no doubt at all, that you will get a good grade. I made the experience, that the courses differ from similar courses in Germany in that way, that there is not so much theory. You can laugh about the easy level, but what does a difficult course do for you, if you have forgotten everything after 2 weeks? Here you really learn the matter through practical work, homeworks and tutorials. So please don�t take only fun courses. Do something useful for your forthcomimg in your subject. As for me, I enrolled for a course I already had done in Germany. I just had the feeling, that some more work on this subject wouldn�t hurt. There I learnt how to use my theoretical knowledge in real life. To he honest, if I had to complete my whole studies there, the courses wouldn�t have enough theory and in-depth for my taste, but it is a great addition to the German courses.

When you are not sure, which courses to take in your major, your advisor can help you. He can even answer the questions you might have about the enrollment procedure. But it is also explained well in the course catalogue, which you can get in the Student Union or Graduate School. This catalogue and the internet are also the sources where to find all courses that are offered. As soon as you have decided which courses to take, fill out the form in the catalogue and go to the Enrollment Center in Willard Hall. The deadline for enrollment is the Friday before the courses start. Afterwards, a late enrollment fee would be assessed. But you can still drop courses. You can also enroll, add and drop courses online via KATS. The bill for tuition and fees is then sent to the address which is stated there.

There are some more things to say about academics, for example about the instructors. Of course, you cannot say anything general that fits to all people. But most of the times, you will find the instructors and tutors very helpful and open-minded. Usually, there are no restricted office-times, when you can talk to your instructor. Just walk into his/her office. It might be helpful to call first or write an email to ask for an appointment. But this is just to make sure, that your instructor has enough time for you. You can really talk to him about everything that concerns you. I was even offered a private lesson from one of my instructors, in case I don�t understand something.

What about the equipment? There is a great library, which is just ideal to study. You may not find the latest books in your subject, primarily, if yours is as exotic as statistics. But in most cases, you will find everything you need. You don�t need an extra card for the library. Your K-State-ID does work for that, too. There are cozy places with sofas and armchairs to relax or read a book and plenty of tables to study. In the finals week you have to take what you can get, but otherwise you can find nice and quiet places to study or sleep, as you like. The library is open from 7:30am to 2am during the week and there are shorter times on the weekend. If you cannot get enough from studying , there is even a 24h-Study-Area. You can find computers and unix terminals in the library, the 24h-Area, in the Student Union and in 4 additional computer labs, that are open 24 hours. There you can get on the internet and use some general programs like Windows Office without the need of getting a password. There are some more computer rooms in the dorms. So you can write your first greeting emails 10 minutes after your first arrival on the campus. Furthermore, each department has its own computerroom with all the software you need for your subject. So there is really no need to bring a laptop with you or even buy one.

Leisure time activities

• Making friends:
  The first people you will meet in the week before classes start will be other international students. Either exchange students like you or regular graduate students. Each year there are 6 students from Giessen and a whole bunch from the Czech Republic, France, Mexico and India. You will see a lot of Chinese students on campus, but never in the bars or any other place outside of the university. On my first days in Manhattan, the Mexican and French students invited all the other international students to parties. These were great opportunities to get to know a lot of new people. But, unfortunately only other internationals. Since my roommate was also French, I didn�t knew any American in the beginning. The best way to get to know one is to life together with one. Of course, you will meet some in your courses, too, but don�t be disappointed, when you meet more people from China and India in your graduate courses than from the United States. Or join a club, that interests you. Each year at the beginning of the fall semester there is the so-called Activities Carnival in the Student Union. All the university clubs and organizations introduce themself to new students. You can find a chess club, an environmental club, Rugby or Judo and many many more. The Women Soccer Club caught my eye and I decided to join them. We had practices twice a week and games on the weekend. It was a lot of fun to drive to the games at the neighbor universities in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. The highlight was a game in Colorado, where we had to play against the US-champion in college-club-soccer. We lost 9:0, but I will never forget the 10 h drive there. Just imagine 15 girls singing to country-music on the highway. You can only hate or love country after this experience. I started to love it. But even in my team it was not easy to come closer than small-talk to some of the girls. I made the experience, that it is very easy to get in first contact with Americans. But it is hard to become friends. The last possibility to get to know some real Kansans is through the HIS-organization I already mentioned. Even if you are not so lucky as me with my �American friends�, you will meet very friendly people. It can be even more interesting to be invited to a dinner on a big ranch with hundreds of cows.
  

• Doing Sports:
  There are many other possibilities to do sports besides the clubs. The Recreation Center is a wonderful facility. There is an indoor running track, a lot of fitness machines, fitness- and aerobic-classes, basketball- or tenniscourts and much more. As a student you can use this facility and the indoor swimming-pool for free. Intramural sports is another possibility to compete. This is a league for several kind of sports between a lot of different teams. There are international teams, teams out of the residence halls or you can set up your own team out of your friends. There are even some high-ranked golf courses near Manhattan, if you like to do that.

  

• Watching Sports:
  If you haven�t been to a Football game of the K-State Wildcats you haven�t been in Manhattan. This is a MUST! You should go to the ticket office at the Bramlage Colliseum within your first days to get a student ticket. The student section is THE place to be, so don�t take any other tickets. You can also find ticket offers on notice-boards in the dorms or Student Union. Other big events are the basketball-games of the men and volleyball games of the women. I�ve often been to the volleyball games as this was for free and always had a lot of fun. Once a year there is a Rodeo Championship on campus.You�ll really miss something, if you don�t see it, since it is so typical for the American midwest.
  

• Going out:
  There is only one place to go, when you want to go out in Manhattan: Aggieville. This consists basically of two streets with one bar next to another one. �Rustys Last Chance�, �Auntie Maes� and the �Silverado Saloon� are institutions you cannot miss. There are dancefloors in �Silverados� and �Longhorns� with a lot of country music and �Out of Bounds� with Black and Dance Music. Even if you don�t like country at all, you have to see the cowboys dancing. The good thing about the compactness of Aggievielle is, that even if you don�t know, where your friends are, you will find them in one of the bars at Moro Street! There are some pretty good restaurant, too: Steaks, Burger and Pizza in Aggieville and Chinese Buffet Restaurants and a good Brewery on Westloop. Unfortunately, there is only one cinema left in Manhattan. The disadvantage about it is, that you cannot reach it without a car. But each weekend there are some specials in the Student Union. They show classic movies for $1.50 or previews for free. There are also some Bowling lanes in the Student Union. This is a fun place to be, especially at the �Rock it Bowl� to Music on each Friday.

• Trips into surrounding areas:
  Directly next to Manhattan there is the Konza Prairie, a beautiful tallgrass prairie ideal for taking an extended walk on the weekends. Not many people appreciate the beautiful surroundings there, so you are alone in the wide and wild nature most of the times. Another nice place to go is the Tuttle Creek Lake. It is too dirty to swim, but gorgeous for having a barbecue during sunset. If you are interested in historic settings and museums, you can find some in Manhattan itself, in Fort Riley and Abilene. Abilene with its original wild west city is really worth seeing. The next bigger city is Topeka. This city is not very pretty, to say it nicely, but it has good shopping opportunities. I guess, everyone has heard of Kansas City. The glorious days where it was the capital of Jazz in the Midwest, are over, but there are still many things to see. Just to mention some attractions: The Jazzmuseum, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, the shops at the Plaza and the world-famous Barbecue- restaurants. K.C. is about 2 hours away from Manhattan. A little bit further away, but still in a distance I would call a surrounding area (about 3 h away) is the Space- and Cosmosphere-Center in Hutchinson. This is a good museum, when you are interested in human space travel. Needless to say, that you cannot go to any of these places without a car. But don�t worry. You�ll get to know a lot of people, with which you can share these experiences. But there is still another possibility to get around: The Union Program Council (UPC, see Link) in the Student Union organizes several trips throughout the year: Hiking or Skiing in Colorado or Rafting on the Kansas River. You should already go there in August or December to ask for their program.

  

• Travelling further away:
  I used each public or university holiday to travel. On one Monday in the fall semester there was no school. So me and my friends decided to take two additional days off and use the time to fly to Chicago. Chicago is one of the cheapest destinations you can reach from the Kansas City International Airport, about $110. But other flights are also affordable, like New Orleans for $150. But since I had bought a car (see �Anything else you have to know�), I could go to other places, too: Into the Rocky Mountains for example. If you like Skiing or Hiking this is THE place to go. You can reach the Rocky Mountain National Park or famous Skiing Areas in only 9-10 hours. For American proportions this is not far, believe me! I didn�t want to go home during Christmas break but travel around. Since most of my friends were international students and went home during this time, I didn�t know, what to do. And the last thing I wanted to do was to sit alone at home on Christmas Eve. But I heard from HIS that there was an organized week for international students over Christmas in Colorado. So I decided to go there and it was really a good decision. We were 5 students from K-State and altogether about 40 students from many midwestern universities. It was an odd feeling to be in a minority, since most of the students were Asian. I can only recommend to go there, but you have to know, that it is organized by a Christian organization. They don�t expect, that you believe in God, but they expect, that you are willing to discuss the bible and religious things. I haven�t been in a church since many years and I could cope with it easily. But if you don�t feel like discussing God and Christianity at all, then you don�t belong there. Anyway, this was not the most important thing about it. We were hiking or ice-skating all day or just playing games. Spring Break: Obviously the most important time in the year for an American student. However, I was so exhausted from university and all this travelling around, that I just had to stay at home and relax. This is pathetic, I know. But saving some money wasn�t a bad idea, either. The highlight came in the end: My sister visited me during my last week in Manhattan. I showed her around town and then we went off to the west. All the way through Colorado, Arizona, Utah and California to San Francisco. OK, this trip weas not very cheap, but you should use the opportunity to travel around in the 6 weeks you have until your visa expires. Unfortunately, there are just too many magnificent things to see and places to go in the United States.

Anything else you have to know

• Buying a car:
  I already mentioned that I�ve bought a car there. Is it necessary? Yes and no. No, if you have enough friends with one. If most of your friends are international students without a car: Yes. Well, you don�t need it in Manhattan itself, although it is difficult to go shopping or into the cinema without one. But I wouldn�t have bought one just for this reason. Me and Anke, an exchange student from Giessen, decided to travel around together after the spring semester. We realized that it would be cheaper to buy a car than renting one for four weeks. Furthermore, we could use it during our year in Manhattan. It was really good to have it, so we didn�t have to rely on the few people we knew who had one. It is so much easier to buy a car in the United States than in Germany. There are so many used car dealers who offer cheap cars (about $1500-$2500 for a 10 year old car), especially in a college-town like Manhattan. Of course, it is much cheaper to buy it from a private person. We were lucky and could buy one from an acquaintance. After negotiating the price, the only thing you have to do then is getting an insurance (about $200 for 6 months at �American Family Insurance�) and registrate it at the treasurers office in the city hall (about $150). You are done with all these formalities within an hour and can start to enjoy driving. Of course you need to have your Kansas Drivers License first. Selling it was even easier. A good recommendation for a car-owner is, to become a member of AAA (=American Automobile Association). With an old car you never know, what happens, and so you have at least a better feeling, when you are on the road. You can also get road maps for free and buy cinema-tickets cheaper than regular.

• Communicating home:
  In general: Local calls are for free and domestic or international calls are more expensive than in Germany. You have to choose a provider for the local calls and for long distance. Just look into the telephone book and call all the providers to compare the prices. On campus you can find some public phones, where you can make local calls for free. When you are living in the dorms, you cannot choose between the providers, but don�t have the fuss with it, either. Another possibility are calling cards. They are more expensive than calls with a fixed provider, but very flexible. You can buy them in each grocery store or Wal- and K-Mart. The prices can vary very much between different cards, so compare them. You have to call a toll-free number first and then type in a code-number. When the card is empty, you can call a service-number and reload a certain amount on it with your credit card. So you can use it during your whole stay from home or any public phone in the US. Anyway, it is much cheaper to be called from Germany! With postal services it is the other way round: It is cheaper to send something from the USA to Germany. You will realize, that even in times of email, a personal card or letter can make you very happy. And I really looked forward to packages with good German chocolade to Christmas or Easter. This is also a very good present to American friends.

Conclusion