In January 2026, I arrived in Los Angeles for a semester at California State University, Northridge. I had already studied in Ireland and worked in Germany, but this was my first time in the US. I was excited to experience life there.

After a long wait for accommodation, I got a place in the campus dormitories, next to sports courts and a swimming pool. I arrived knowing nobody, but soon met other international students who were just as keen to explore.

Studying at CSUN

Getting into my courses took a few visits to the Computer Science department. As an exchange student, I needed permission to register because the system did not recognise my prerequisites. I eventually enrolled in courses covering algorithms, advanced data structures, databases, web engineering and automata theory.

Classes were small, usually around 25 students, and all my coursework was individual. I worked hard throughout the semester and finished with a perfect GPA. With a software engineering internship ahead of me, I was glad to spend that time strengthening the subjects I knew I would need.

Tennis, road trips and new friends

Tennis helped me meet American students. I joined CSUN’s club and played an intervarsity tournament at Long Beach. The effort that went into the event, even having a photographer for our team, gave me ideas to bring back to the club I chair at UL.

Adam playing at the intervarsity tennis tournament in Long Beach

With my international friends, I visited Santa Monica, hiked in Angeles National Forest and took a road trip to Yosemite. During spring break, we went to Oahu in Hawaii. We spent the semester exploring together, and we still keep in touch.

I liked the American attitude towards ambition. People seemed comfortable saying what they wanted to achieve, and I saw how much enthusiasm and persistence they put into getting there. I saw it in tennis and in the way people approached their studies and projects. Living around that mindset inspired me to pursue my own goals with more confidence and determination.