Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months

1. Preparation

It is advisable to start preparing for the US visa well in advance, as the application process can take some time. Flights should also be booked as early as possible, since prices tend to rise quickly closer to the departure date. In terms of travel, flying via Charlotte and then continuing on to South Carolina worked well. Alternatively, instead of taking a connecting flight, you can fly directly into Charlotte and then take the Charlotte–Columbia shuttle to reach the university.

2. Accommodation

I had a single room, which was quite expensive. In general, when it comes to roommates, it really comes down to luck — you never really know who you'll end up living with. I personally lived in Park Place, which was very nice. It's not the most central location, but it's not too far out either. If possible, I would recommend looking for accommodation independently, as it often costs only about a third of the price compared to going through the university's housing options.

3. Academic life at host university

Course choice is largely a matter of personal preference. I personally took Introduction to Management, Introduction to International Business, and a Computer Science course, and I would highly recommend Introduction to Marketing to everyone. In general, there are two course formats: one similar to what we know from WU (large lecture halls), and another type of course with significantly fewer students. What stood out to me overall is that teaching is much more practice-oriented than at WU. You have to complete a lot of small assignments every week. On the other hand, there isn't as much to prepare for exams — most exams are held online and can be taken from home. Still, there are always many small weekly assignments, though the workload for each one is manageable.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life there was very good overall. Generally speaking, there isn't much public transport in the US, but there are buses that operate around campus, connecting the various housing options with the different university buildings — they even run at night. I personally never felt unsafe. It's a fairly Republican state with a lot of openness toward guns, but weapons are banned on campus, and I never had any issues in that regard. There are tons of sports opportunities. The gyms are extremely nice, and you can basically do any sport, whether through a club or on your own — there's really something for everyone. The university also organizes a huge number of events, ranging from sports to parties, networking, and music, so you definitely won't run out of things to do. On top of that, university sports like basketball and football games were an amazing experience. I'd also recommend the BCM to exchange students — they'll usually reach out to you directly. It's a local community that offers a weekly lunch for university students, and I can really recommend it, since it's a great way to connect with other exchange students right from the start.

6. Testimonial

My exchange was all about experiencing a different culture and staying open to new things. What made it truly special was traveling around the region on weekends — trips to Savannah, Charleston, and Nashville were absolute highlights that I'd highly recommend. Looking back, it's definitely worth spending a bit extra on trips like these while you have the chance, because it's an experience you won't regret.