Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• SoSe 2026
• Time spent at the partner university: 5 months
• Contact: Login to see contact information

1. Preparation

Before departing, I made sure to read through the exchange reports from previous students, which helped a lot in getting a realistic picture of what to expect regarding housing, courses and general life at USC. I also reached out early to the other WU students who were heading to USC in the same semester, so we could coordinate things together instead of figuring everything out on our own. Together we organized a car in advance, which turned out to be one of the best decisions, since having a car ready to go from day one made getting around so much easier from the start. Regarding accommodation, I organized my spot at the Lorenzo well ahead of time. One of the WU students who had been there a semester before me put me in touch with a guy from HSG who was looking for someone to take over his apartment, and that is how I secured my place. Generally, Lorenzo requires a 12 month lease, which is why there is always a split between the people who sign for the full 12 months in one semester and the new arrivals who then take over their contract for the remaining months, roughly divided 6 and 6. If you write enough emails and stay persistent with Lorenzo, it is also possible to arrange a 5 month contract instead of 6, but this really only works if you actively push for it and follow up regularly. Looking back, one thing I would do differently is to try to get an apartment together with the other WU students from the very beginning rather than taking over from strangers and sharing rooms with people you do not know. That said, staying at Lorenzo is still worth it because of how many other exchange students live there. On the practical side, I would recommend setting up an eSIM before departure so you have working data as soon as you land. It is also worth organizing an international driving license in theory before leaving, although in practice nobody ever asked for it once we were there. Make sure to have enough money ready for the first month's rent plus the deposit at Lorenzo, since they only accept bank transfer and no cash. Visa, vaccinations and all the administrative steps are explained clearly by both USC and the WU exchange team, so that part of the process is straightforward as long as you follow the instructions. For flights, I flew to Los Angeles via Munich and booked a direct flight back. Booking early is worth it to get a better price, and for the return flight I would recommend getting a flexible or changeable ticket, since your return date can easily shift depending on how the semester develops. Lastly, bring your own bed sheets, since Lorenzo only hands over a raw mattress with nothing else.

2. Accommodation

Finding my spot at Lorenzo happened through personal connections rather than the official waiting list. A WU student who had already been on exchange the semester before put me in touch with a guy from HSG who was looking for someone to take over his apartment there, and that is how I secured my place. This is actually a common way to get into Lorenzo, since the official lease runs for 12 months and the group signing in one semester typically hands the contract over to the incoming group for the remaining months, roughly split 6 and 6. I lived at Lorenzo, which is private student housing rather than an official USC residence, but it is by far the most popular choice among exchange students, especially those coming from Europe. Since I took over an existing lease, I ended up sharing a room with someone I did not know beforehand, which worked out fine in the end but was a bit of a gamble. Lorenzo is located in South Los Angeles, about a 15 to 20 minute walk from campus, with a shuttle running every 20 minutes as an alternative. The area right around Lorenzo and USC itself feels safe, mainly because it is heavily monitored by USC's own security and the Department of Public Safety, but it is not the nicest part of LA and you do notice that once you leave the immediate campus area. USC also offers free Lyft rides in the evening within the surrounding area, which makes getting around after dark a lot safer and easier. Looking back, there are a few things I wish I had known beforehand. First, taking over a lease from strangers means you often end up with random roommates, so if you can, it is much better to team up with your own WU group from the start and apply for an apartment together rather than splitting up across different takeovers. Second, Lorenzo only provides a raw mattress with nothing else, so bring your own bed sheets rather than counting on the apartment being fully equipped. Lastly, be prepared for the deposit and first month's rent to be paid by bank transfer only, no cash accepted, so make sure you have that sorted before arrival.

3. Academic life at host university

The USC campus itself is one of the best parts of studying there. It is huge, very well kept, and offers pretty much everything you could need, from multiple gyms and pools to countless study spaces and outdoor areas. USC Village is the heart of daily campus life, with grocery stores, restaurants, cafes and shops all within a short walk, so most of your day to day needs are covered without ever leaving campus. Classes themselves take place in a completely different part of campus, and the whole area feels much more like a small self contained city than a traditional European university. Academically, the culture is very different from WU. Class sizes are noticeably smaller, professors are approachable and genuinely interested in their students, and most of them come with impressive real world career backgrounds, which makes classes feel a lot more practical and less theoretical. Attendance is rarely strictly enforced, but participation can still count toward your grade in some courses. Compared to WU, the workload during the semester felt lighter, and exams were much easier overall, with a lot of open book and take home formats rather than the strict closed book exams I was used to. That said, I still felt like I learned a lot, mostly because the content was taught in a very applied and relevant way. In terms of courses, I took Basketball and Table Tennis as my sports electives, and I can especially recommend Basketball. It is one of the most fun classes I took, and Lorenzo also has its own courts where a lot of people play regularly, so it is a great way to stay active and meet people outside of class as well. On the business side, I took Professional Selling, Entrepreneurial Mindset - Taking the Leap, and Business Finance. All three were genuinely good courses with practical content and engaged professors. Professional Selling in particular gave a hands on look into sales techniques you rarely get taught this directly at WU, and Entrepreneurial Mindset was a great mix of theory and real founder stories. Business Finance was more traditional in structure but still solid in terms of content. Overall I would recommend picking a mix like this, one sports elective for balance and a couple of business courses that genuinely interest you rather than choosing based on workload alone.

5. Every day life in the host country

Public transportation in Los Angeles is not really an option if you want to see anything beyond the immediate campus area. Distances in LA are huge, and most places worth visiting are far outside walking or bus range. Because of that, we shared a car within our group for the whole semester, which made an enormous difference in daily life. We used it constantly, whether it was for grocery runs, getting to the beach, or just avoiding the unreliable bus network. Splitting the car among several people kept the cost manageable and we rarely had scheduling conflicts as long as we planned ahead. In terms of safety, I generally felt secure around campus and Lorenzo, especially during the day. The area directly surrounding USC is heavily monitored by campus security and the Department of Public Safety, which helps a lot. At night I was more cautious, sticking to well lit main streets and using the free Lyft rides USC offers in the evening rather than walking longer distances alone. Encountering homeless individuals is a normal part of everyday life in LA, and while it can feel unfamiliar at first, it was rarely an actual safety issue in my experience. Social life at USC is very active and there is rarely a quiet week. Rocks & Reilly's in USC Village is the classic Wednesday spot where basically everyone shows up, and fraternity parties are a big part of the scene too, though it helps a lot to know someone or go with a group of women since entry for guys can be tricky. Game days are also worth experiencing at least once, the atmosphere around football and basketball games is something you do not really get in Vienna. Beyond that, having a car opened up a lot of activities that would otherwise be difficult, we surfed a few times, played golf, and used the beach a lot more than we would have without one. What really stood out though were our weekend trips. We went to Santa Barbara, Malibu, and a couple of national parks, and having the car made all of these spontaneous and easy to organize. LA itself also constantly has something going on, concerts, festivals and cultural events almost every weekend, so there is always something to do even without leaving the city. These trips and outings ended up being some of the best memories of the whole semester and are something I would strongly recommend planning time and budget for.

6. Testimonial

This exchange was without question one of the best experiences of my life. I met an incredible group of people from all over the world and we quickly became like a second family, sharing everything from basketball games to spontaneous weekend trips along the coast. Living the California lifestyle, sunny days, the beach, sports and constant social life, made it hard to imagine wanting to be anywhere else. Looking back, it was the people and the shared adventures that made this semester truly unforgettable.