University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
From August 2018 to December 2018 I was enrolled for one semester at San Diego State University. Normally I study business administration at the TH Cologne. Visit act-test-centers.com to get information about UCD study abroad program.
San Diego State University
At San Diego University I took “Fundamentals to Finance”, “Human Resources Management” and “Operations & Supply Chain Management” as specialty courses and “Painting 1″proven. The class sizes were quite small and the classes reminded me more of my school days. Attendance was compulsory, homework was given and many tests and exams were written. Also, some expensive books had to be bought and access codes to do the homework. The level of difficulty was a little lower than in Germany, but it was a lot more effort. What I found a bit unfortunate about the special courses was that almost no Americans took part, since the courses were organized by the College of Extended Studies. Mostly the people came from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and the Netherlands. It is also possible to attend “normal” lectures, but preference is given to American students and the courses are only offered
To meet people from all over the world, I can recommend the coffee hour at the International Student Center . This is where the exchange students meet, who have the SDSU as their partner university from their home university and therefore regularly attend the lectures of the American students. The Student Center also organizes a Thanksgiving dinner, for example, and it’s all free of charge.
The university gym can be used free of charge and there is something for everyone. Sports courses and group trips are also offered there.
San Diego
San Diego is a gorgeous city and you never get bored there! Above all, the permanently beautiful weather and the beach make the city very liveable. Sea lions and harbor seals can be observed in the wild on the beach in La Jolla. At the weekend we loved going to Pacific Beach for yoga, where we did yoga as a huge group for almost an hour and a half. It is instructor-led, open to everyone, and donation-based. I recommend it to anyone!
In San Diego you can also go hiking (for example on Cowles Mountain or in Torrey Pines State Reserve), ride a bike, jog (for example on Lake Murray if you live near the university). If you’re passionate about jogging, I can recommend the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon. There is also a wide range of dining options. In my opinion, the tastiest ice cream is the Somi Somi ice cream on Convoy Street and it is definitely not to be missed. But Salt&Straw in Downtown is also very popular with many people.
Environment and travel
Half an hour from San Diego is the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. In contrast to the San Diego Zoo and Sea World, care is taken to ensure that the animals are kept in a species-appropriate manner. Admission is a bit more expensive but it’s worth it and taking a train of sorts inside the park feels like you’re on a safari trip.
We’ve been to Big Bear Mountain twice. This is about a three hour drive from San Diego. We went there for camping in the summer and snowboarding in the winter.
At the beginning of November we did a road trip to Las Vegas and then drove on to Zion National Park in Utah. During my semester abroad I saw many national parks and this was by far the most beautiful of them all! There we hiked up “Angels Landing” and the next day “The Narrows” in a canyon. “The Narrows” is a hike through a river, so it is advisable to rent waterproof shoes and waterproof trousers in the village. It’s very worth it!!
No less impressive is Bryce Canyon, only about half an hour’s drive from Zion National Park. Then we drove to Arches National Park. This is quite a bit further away and not worth it in my opinion (perhaps we were already too spoiled by Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon). Since we couldn’t see any more stones, we decided to drive to Phoenix, Arizona. There we visited the “Desert Botanical Garden”, which was very beautiful. On the way back we stopped at Joshua Tree National Park and hiked The Lost Horse Loop Trail.
Recommended national parks are also the Sequoia National Park with its tall trees and the Yosemite National Park with its beautiful nature. If you’re in the area, it’s also worth visiting Santa Barbara. San Francisco is also worth a trip (remember to get your Alcatraz tickets early). I’ve heard from many people that you should definitely go to Universal Studios in Los Angeles, which unfortunately I didn’t manage to do.
Conclusion
I was able to experience a wonderful semester abroad in San Diego and already miss the city! Even if I prefer the German university system with its freedom, it was a good experience that I wouldn’t want to miss!
