Details

• United States of America
• BaWiSo-23
• Undergraduate
• WS 2025
• Time spent at the partner university: 4 months

1. Preparation

It is really important to do some proper research before choosing the list of universities you want to apply to. Also within the US, colleges differ a lot, and depending on your focus during your exchange, geographical factors as well as whether your destination is a campus town can make a huge difference. The application process itself is mostly random and heavily depends on which interviewer you get. Still, good preparation can not only be helpful for the interview itself but also for your time abroad. However, don’t stress out too much about it, because in the end it is not really in your hands. After getting your future university abroad, it is important to apply for the visa as soon as possible, as especially in times like today, the political situation can change very quickly. For us, for example, a visa stop occurred for over two months, making it unclear for many students whether they could go or not until the very last month. Choosing courses is also super important. Depending on your goals, it is definitely possible to choose very easy courses to have more time for social life and traveling, but most universities also offer very interesting courses that can boost your skill set. Last but not least, it helped me a lot to connect with people who were going to the same university before going there. It made especially the first days and weeks much easier, and the people I connected with beforehand turned out to be some of my best friends during my exchange.

2. Accommodation

Finding proper accommodation was not easy, as you don’t know how things work in terms of leasing and renting apartments in a different country. There are basically two options at UIUC: on-campus housing (either in a dorm or private on-campus accommodation) or off-campus housing in a rented house or apartment. Personally, I lived at 309 East Green Street, which was kind of okay, but there are definitely better options for private accommodation. Living off campus can be much cheaper, but it is really inconvenient in terms of getting to classes, bars, etc. Also, if possible, only sign 6-month leases, as it is nearly impossible to find a subtenant. Even if you do find someone, you usually have to give a heavy discount, which can easily cost you few thousand dollars. The campus itself is super safe, and I never felt unsafe, even walking alone through campus at night. Off campus, it can be more sketchy.

3. Academic life at host university

The campus at UIUC is amazing, everything is oriented toward students, as they make up a big part of the population. Depending on which courses you choose, you can have a pretty easy semester, but there is also a wide range of really interesting courses that can actually improve your skill set, which might be harder though. Furthermore, classes are way more interactive than at WU, and professors actually try to engage students and make them attend their classes. All of them have regular office hours, and you are encouraged to actually use them and talk to professors about all kinds of topics. Some of them even offered free training sessions for job interviews, as many of them worked in the industries they teach, before.

5. Every day life in the host country

Everyday life at UIUC can’t get much better. First of all, the sports opportunities on campus are huge. Not only can you go to a large gym with endless options such as bouldering, indoor and outdoor pools, etc., but there are also at least six football pitches, tennis courts, and much more. We played football once or twice a week with random people, and there are also “Intramurals,” where you can form your own team and play against other students. Furthermore, UIUC is definitely a party campus. There are opportunities to go out almost every day, and especially during Halloween and pub crawls, bars are packed. Red Lion on Mondays, Kams on Thursdays, and Brothers (you definitely need to try an OG-Lit there :) ) almost every day are highly recommended. Football and basketball games are also a must-see. The atmosphere and the tailgating are stunning, it’s exactly how you see it in movies. Last but not least, everything on campus is walkable. Even though I collected a lot of steps, I never used public transportation during my entire semester.

6. Testimonial

My exchange semester at UIUC has been the best time of my life. Since I was a little kid, I always dreamed of studying at a US college, and it still exceeded my expectations. The University of Illinois is the perfect university to collect typical college experiences, as it is a campus town with big football and basketball teams and great bars especially designed for students. But the most important part has been the people I met there. Not only was I able to build friendships with many Americans, who allowed me to dive even deeper into their culture by taking me to tailgates, house parties, and barn dances, but also with other exchange students. We were an unbelievably close group of over 30 people, with whom I went on more than 13 different trips, such as Mexico, Toronto, the Dominican Republic, and many different destinations across the US. Not a single day passed without something crazy happening, and this was only because of the people I went on exchange with and their mentality to make these four months count. My recommendation is definitely to be very active during the first days and to find your friend group, because it can turn your exchange semester from average into something very special.