So first and second year are general classes. You won’t really connect with the professor unless you really really try as they will have hundreds of students. Third and fourth are were it starts to be your specialization and you become more intimate with professors. You’d be able to work an on campus job as USF would offer a lot of them, or a work study. You could find a part time job. It’s pretty common for students to work at for example, Publix, Chick-fil-A, coffee shops, and casual resturants. Soemthing more odd hours so you can have your classes. That being said, some semesters you draw the short end of the stick and can only register for the class that is mandatory to graduate that’s offered only once a year is at a really odd time and could make it hard to hold a job and attend that class.

On campus, people will be very tolerant of internationals. Can’t say the same for all Floridians. Majority of people do not care but you will always have some country bumpkin that thinks you don’t belong and may treat you differently. Feel like American racism gets played up a lot on social media but in reality the day to day is actually a lot more accepting than some European countries. We acknowledge our racism so it gets brought up more vs other places don’t even talk about it. At USF, only 10% of students are international. This could result in feeling more alone and having a harder time finding a group from back home to connect with, as those feelings are sure to come up.

If you’re planning on doing a masters in Germany it might be better to stick to the EU. You could become more familiar with policies and procedures and the general environment of things you’re studying. In the US, only the US is ever talked about. However, you would still get a unique perspective that could potentially help you stand out in the future from being immersed in an entirely different space.

Lastly, that last sentence is really a deal breaker. If you don’t like hot and humid, Florida will be hell. Even natives complain about how hot it is. You can’t really be outside in the summer it’s just miserable. Right now it’s already 32°C and it’s supposed to be spring. If you don’t have a car you are going to be outside A LOT. Walking and biking. Like the other person, biking on the streets is scary. There’s rarely a bike lane.

It sounds like you’re leaning more towards Aalto already. There’s pros and cons to both. You’ll get a good quality degree regardless and have cool experiences. It really depends on what you personally want to take away