ANR: 887343
Name: Milou Westphal
E-mail: milouwestphal@live.nl
Exchange semester: Spring, 2015
Academic year: 2014 - 2015
Host University: Western Connecticut State University
Country: United States of America
I GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL
Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) is located in Danbury (CT), approximately 1 hour away
from New Haven and 1 hour and 40 minutes away from "the Big Apple": New York City. Danbury's
population is about 80.893 and with that the seventh most-populous city among Connecticut cities. I
can describe Danbury as a typical American city with an nice atmosphere.
Danbury Area
WCSU is divided in two different campuses: Midtown and Westside. Midtown, being the main campus,
is located in the city center. This campus has a student center with restaurants and a coffee bar, large
science building, library, computer rooms, classroom buildings, weight/cardio room and also three
resident halls for freshman students.
Midtown Campus
Westside is located approximately 12 minutes away from Midtown. This campus is located on top of a
hill and is surrounded by beautiful parks. Westside also has a student center with a cardio room,
restaurant, computer labs and Coffee bar (Daily Grind). Besides that, this campus has a big virtual arts
building, a classroom building, athletics complex and 3 resident halls. There's a free campus-tocampus shuttle that runs every 15 minutes during weekdays and every 30 minutes during weekends.
Westside Campus
Danbury offers a couple of fun things to do. One of these things is the Danbury Fair Mall. This mall is
the second largest shopping mall in Connecticut. This mall offers a wide range of stores such as
Abercrombie, Forever 21, Macy's, American Eagle Outfitters etc. There's also a big food court with lots
of different food options. It is possible for student to take the free campus-to-campus shuttle which will
stop at the Danbury Fair Mall in the weekends. This shuttle also stops at the bus- and train station. It is
very easy to travel from Danbury to several big cities, such as New York, Boston, Washington and
New Haven. Danbury also has a few nice bars, nightclubs and restaurants.
Danbury Fair Mall
WCSU has a total of 5.952 students enrolled: 4.356 Full-time Undergraduate and 57 Full-time
Graduate. The university represents 4 different schools with several academic departments:
1. Ancell School of Business
Accounting, finance, Justice and Law Administration, Management, Management Information
Systems, Marketing
2. Macricostas School of Arts and Sciences
Biological and Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Communication and Media Arts,
Computer Science, English, History and Non-Western Cultures, Mathematics, Philosophy and
Humanistic Studies, Physics- Astronomy and Meteorology, Psychology, Social Science,
World Languages and Literature, Writing- linguistics & Creative Process
3. School of Professional Studies
Education and Educational Psychology, Health Promotion and Exercise Sciences, Nursing
and Social Work
4. School of Visual & Performing Arts.
Art, Music and Theatre Arts
II PRACTICAL INFORMATION
I received the pre-arrival information the 22nd of November from Donna Warner, the University
Assistant for International Services. There were no difficulties whatsoever.
Visa procedure and arrival
When I received my DS-2019 form from WCSU, I was able to apply for my J1 visa. The costs for the
visa were 136 Euros. I made an appointment with the embassy in Amsterdam and I received my visa
within a week after this appointment. I arrived at JFK airport (New York City) on January 9th. When I
arrived, I had to take the CT Limousine to Danbury. This is a airport transfer bus service in
Connecticut. The costs for the bus service were 80 dollars. The bus makes several stops along the
way so the trip from JFK took approximately 2.5 hours. I was dropped off at the Maron Hotel in
Danbury were I met the Assistant Dean of Students and Advisor of the International Student
Association, Daryle Dennis. Daryle took me to Pinney Hall, which is one of the residence halls at the
Westside campus. Pinney Hall was my accommodation for the semester.
The next day I met the other exchange students and we all received an information package with
useful information regarding WCSU and Danbury. Daryle showed us around campus and Danbury.
We also opened an American bank account and we went to register for our own school ID's. We
stayed together for the whole weekend, had lunch and dinner together and explored the area. The
administration and faculty was well prepared for our arrival.
Orientation/Introduction activities
On Sunday, January 11th there was a orientation for all (new) students of WCSU. During this day, we
explored the campus, met all the different student organizations and clubs and we also had a nice
dinner together. The school's students participated very well in the reception of the exchange
students. One of the students, Anthony Asmar, used to be an ISEP student himself. He went on
exchange with ISEP to Spain in 2014. He was one of the main persons to talk to if we had any
questions about our exchange. There was also an International Student Association which had
meetings every Monday.
Housing
Our accommodation was very well organized. All the exchange students stayed in Pinney Hall, one of
the resident halls at the Westside Campus. This 425-bed, apartment-style residence hall is typically
reserved for junior/senior students and accommodates five students per suite. Each unit contains
three furnished bedrooms (two shared and one single), two bathrooms, a furnished living and dining
area and a full-sized kitchen. Each apartment has a balcony. Pinney Hall bedrooms provide beds,
desks, desk chairs and a closet for each resident. The common living room area generally has a
loveseat, a club chair, a dining table and chairs, a coffee table, and several end tables. Bathrooms
provide an initial shower curtain, but students are responsible for providing their own toilet paper.
Kitchens are outfitted with a stove, refrigerator, and microwave, along with cabinet space. In addition,
the building houses two-story floor lounges spaced throughout the building, laundry facilities and
conference/meeting rooms that can be reserved for special occasions.
View from my room!
I didn't have to book my accommodation in advance. I was very satisfied with my accommodation. I
shared my room with one of the exchange students from France. First I wasn't sure if I would like to
have a roommate, but eventually it turned out just fine and we became good friends. There is also a
big supermarket (stop and shop) very close to the Westside campus were the campus-to-campus
shuttle stops.
Living Costs
I financed my exchange period with student finance from DUO (384,26 Euros monthly), my own
savings and financial support from my parents. I also received an monthly amount of money from
WCSU. This money was part of our ISEP meal plan, but the school decided to give us this money so
that we were able to spend it on other things rather than just food. The total amount of money I
received from WCSU was approximately 1600 dollars. All exchange students received the Blue 75
meal plan, which contains 75 meals for the whole semester and also 75 dollars in flex points. Flex
points can be used to buy individual snacks, coffee etc. All these expenses were included in the total
ISEP fee of 3475 Euros. In the end, I only had to use my own savings for trips!
Outline of my approximate monthly budget whilst on exchange:
Housing: included in ISEP fee
Food: included in ISEP fee
Transport: the campus-to-campus shuttle was free. Traveling by bus or train was very cheap. A
roundtrip to New York City is only 15 dollars.
Books: I only had to pay my books in the beginning of the semester, which was a total of 163 dollars.
Books can be very expensive, so I recommend buying or renting books online via Amazon.com. When
the semester ended, I sold all my books at the WCSU bookstore.
Academic Calendar
Arrival date: January 9
Introductory weekend: January 10 and 11
First day of the semester: January 12
Last day of classes: May 1
Mid-term break: March 16 - 21 (Spring Break)
Examination period: May 4 - 9 (Final Exams)
Other: January 19 (Martin Luther King Holiday, no classes), February 13 - 16 (President's Holiday, no
classes), April 3 - 4 (Day of Reflection, no classes)
The International Office
The International Services Office is located at Midtown campus in the University Hall building. The
International Services office supports the non-immigrant students and scholars holding F1 or J1 visas
as a post admissions service. They provide orientation and ongoing support and guidance of the nonimmigrant federal regulations and support of ISEP Exchange Students. Ms. Donna Warner, the
University Assistant for International Services, is responsible for incoming exchange students.
Exchange promotion
I joined the International Student Organization at WCSU. This organization is for all past, present and
future ISEP and study abroad students, current international students as well as any interested WCSU
student to be part of. With this organization I did presentations in all the different residence halls on
campus to inform WCSU students about ISEP and also about Tilburg University.
Social Activities
I really enjoyed all the different social activities that were organized at WCSU. The Program Activities
Council (PAC) is one of the main organizations at WCSU that program social, cultural and educational
events for the benefit of all students at WCSU. The university also has many different clubs you can
join. Each different club organizes different activities. Every Friday night was movie night at Midtown
and every Monday night there was free food and smooties at the Daily Grind (Westside’s coffee bar
that sells Starbucks products). With these clubs and organizations, I went to two Broadway musical
(The Lion King and Phantom of the Opera), a NBA game (New York Knicks) at Madison Square
Garden in New York City and Six Flags. All the trips were very, very cheap (15 dollars including
transportation). The International Student Organization also organized a trip to Washington DC. I had
contact with both local and exchange students. We went on all the trips together! One very special
event was WestFest 2015. Every year, WCSU organizes WestFest to celebrate the end of the
semester. This event last for a whole week with all cool activities every single day (BBQ’s, festivals,
concerts, carnivals etc.)
Lion King and Basketball Game
I travelled a lot in the United States during and after my exchange. Because New York City is very
nearby, we went there a lot during the weekends to explore the city. One of my good friends from the
Netherlands came to visit me during President's Holiday. We stayed in New York City for 5 days.
Together with my parents, I went to the Niagara Falls, Canada, Pensacola Beach (FL) and New
Orleans during spring break. After my exchange, my boyfriend and I did a road trip from New York City
to
Florida.
I
really
recommend
to
travel
as
much
as
you
can!
New York!
Culture and Language
I didn't experience a culture shock while on exchange. In my opinion, the American culture is not so
different for the Dutch culture. Nevertheless, there're always little habits that are different. Americans
in general are very friendly and open. I had no problems getting in touch with the local American
students. The funny thing about my exchange experience is that I not only got to know the American
culture, but also different cultures from all around the world. The other exchange students came from
France, Italy and Australia. One of the things I didn't like about the American culture is the unhealthy
food. A good solution for this is cooking your own food once in a while. I didn't experience any
language problems while on exchange. The most important thing is to try your best and not being
afraid to make mistakes.
Personal Development
My exchange experience definitely affect me from a cultural and social point of view. You really have
to step out of your comfort zone by meeting new people, speaking a different language, learning about
different cultures and habits. From my experience, going abroad makes you a more open minded and
independent person. I also believe that going abroad is very important for your future career
possibilities: you show to companies that you are an enterprising and independent person. The most
important thing I learned from people during my exchange is not to be judgmental about people you
don’t know. I will never forget the great friendships I made during this exchange. The most important
lesson I’ve learned about myself during my exchange period, is to go with the flow and enjoy life to the
fullest! My friends and family know me as a typical “control-freak”, but during my exchange I really had
to let go of control because nobody could tell me what was going to happen: I had to experience it
myself.
Western Connecticut State University Leadership Banquet with all the ISEP Exchange Students
III ACADEMIC INFORMATION
Academic level at a host university
All courses are offered in English at WCSU. For me it was very important that all my courses were law
related. One of the things I really liked about WCSU, is that there is a wide variety of law related
courses that you can take. Via http://bannerweb.wcsu.edu/openclose/ you can see exactly which
courses are offered in which semester. I took 4 courses: Introduction to Criminal Justice I, Criminal
Law, Commercial Law and Constitutional Law. The reason why I chose these courses, is that I wanted
to get to know the American Common Law system and compare this system to Dutch/European Law.
I really enjoyed all of my classes, because the study material was very interesting and the professors
were always enthusiastic and friendly. For this reason, I would recommend all the courses that I took.
The academic level at WCSU is not lower compared to the academic level at Tilburg University, but
the way of teaching is a lot different! At Tilburg University, all my courses only had 1 final exam and
sometimes a paper assignment. Classes were (most of the time) not mandatory and the relation
between professor and student was very formal. At WCSU, the final exam would only count for 25%
of your final grade. The rest of your grade consisted of two other exams, class participation,
presentations and papers. Therefore, it was very important that you came prepared to class. Also all
classes were mandatory. In this way, you were kind of “forced” to keep on track with your reading and
homework. For me it really helped to make summaries of all my readings. In this way I became more
familiar with legal definitions that were new to me and also with the English language in general. One
of the good things about this system, is that in the end you don’t have to study that much. The
relationship between professor and students is very informal if you compare it to Tilburg University. All
the professors tried to know all the students by name and they were always willing to help and to
answer questions of students. In general, I’m very happy with my academic achievements during my
exchange! At WCSU, hard work really pays off. If you show to your professors that you’re really
motivated to work hard, it is most likely that you will get a good grade!
Exams
For each course I had to do three exams (first exam, midterm and final exam).
1. Introduction to Criminal Justice I
First exam and midterm: 100 multiple choice questions
Final exam:100 multiple choice questions plus an essay.
2. Criminal Law
All exams: 100 multiple choice questions plus case scenarios
For this course, you also had to do two group presentations.
3. Commercial Law
First exam and midterm: 30 multiple choice questions, 10 short answer questions and an
essay
Final exam: 40 multiple choice questions, 10 short answer questions and an essay
For this course, you also had to do a 10 multiple choice questions test at the beginning of
every class.
4. Constitutional Law
First exam: 30 multiple choice questions
Midterm and Final exam: short answer questions
For this course, I wrote a paper about freedom of speech in today’s society as a replacement
for my bachelor thesis. You also have to hand in case briefs every class.
Other
Student can easily access the library and its resources. There’re two library’s, one at Midtown (Haas
Library) and one at Westside (Young Library). Via this website http://library.wcsu.edu/ you can look up
books and study material. Sometimes, the library also offers online content! There’re also public
computers available on each campus. On both campuses, the public computers are located in the
student center. The computer labs are both equipped with enough computers (Windows and Apple)
and also printers. At Westside there’s also a 24-hour computer lab.
Description of Courses
Course title and code
Intro to Criminal Justice I
JLA 100
Criminal
Law
JLA 210
Commercial Law
JLA 240
Constitutional
Law
JLA 322
Course level
(BA/MA)
Prerequisites
Form of exam
ECTS credits
Written
3 credits/6 ECTS
Written
3 credits/6 ECTS
BA
Written
3 credits/6 ECTS
BA
Written
3 credits/6 ECTS
BA
BA
Intro to
Justice I
Criminal
Tips for the future students
I would highly recommend an exchange period! This exchange has become one of the best
experiences in my life! I would definitely recommend WCSU, especially if you want to travel and if you
want to experience different seasons.
Blog
http://www.traveldiariesapp.com/nl/PubliekDagboek/628494db-3292-4ba2-8dd4-b6641582f044