San Diego State University Review (4)

San Diego State University Review (4)

North America

University: San Diego State University

City: San Diego

Country: United States

Continent: North America

Field of study: Economics, International Business Administration

Study type: semester abroad

I’m studying international economics at the Sowi in Innsbruck and had to study abroad for a year. So in January 2009 I started planning my stay abroad. I was looking for a university that had a good business program but where the tuition was still “reasonably” affordable. (By comparison, some other American universities pay $11,000 per semester). Since I’m from Austria and therefore don’t get Bafög, these universities weren’t really an option for me;) I also needed a university that offered business administration courses, since the University of Long Beach, for example, doesn’t do that, I could do it don’t choose either. Since I also obviously wanted a UNI close to the beach, the SDSU was the only option in the end. The support from college.contact was very helpful, completely free of charge and it really makes the application a lot easier. In addition, there is always a contact person on site, which can sometimes be very useful. Visit mcat-test-centers.com to get information about Santa Barbara City College SBCC.

For classification:

It is best to arrive in San Diego a week before the orientation week so that you have enough time to look for an apartment afterwards.
In the first week it is best to stay in a hostel (the Ocean Beach International Hostel is recommended). It’s clean, right on the beach and you get to know a lot of SDSU students. In addition, a pick-up service and breakfast are included and there is also an additional meal twice a week.

So during the week that you stay in the hostel you have time to look for an apartment and enjoy the beach at the same time. We recommend an apartment near the campus with Americans. Since there are many German-speaking students studying at SDSU, an apartment with Americans is really important. Of course, it would be perfect if you could reach the UNI on foot.

In the second week, the orientation week begins (city tour, tour of the campus, course introduction: by the way, there is a great breakfast 😉 )

In the 3rd week, UNI starts as usual. I would recommend that before you go to SD you think about which courses you want to take and compare them with your home university. For example, I was given 8 courses by my university in Innsbruck and I had to do them. Although crashing can of course be a problem, I have to say from experience that you can get all the courses if you really want to. Sometimes you have to speak to the professors personally and wait a few weeks, but it is quite possible to get all the courses you want.
Recommended and easy to get are:

MGT 357 ( International Business & Strategy)
MGT 405 ( Multinational Management)
Labor Economics
MKTG 371 (Consumer Buyer Behavior)
MKTG 376 Global Marketing (not an easy course, but at least you know more afterwards than before;) )

For the courses mentioned, there are usually extended study courses, ie extra courses are opened for international students. So please don’t despair if you are not admitted to the regular courses in the first week!!!

To this day I don’t know if you have to get a California driver’s license *g* I didn’t get it and I had a car. I’ve never been stopped either, so I’m not accountable in this case. Haha
But the driver’s license is definitely very practical, because you don’t always have to take your passport with you to the clubs and it doesn’t cost much either.

Once that’s sorted out with the courses, you can start enjoying San Diego and you’ll never get bored there.
My colleagues have already mentioned all the clubs etc., you’ll only get a few insiders from me;)
Sunset is beautiful to watch at the Sunset Cliffs, every Wednesday is the weekly market in Ocean Beach, pool parties are good at the Wavehouse (Mission Beach) and Hard Rock Hotel (Downtown). We also recommend Phil’s Barbecue near Sports Arena, although I would definitely go there during the week, as the line is extremely long on the weekends. Also recommended are Hodad’s Burgers in Ocean Beach (http: //www.hodadies.com/ ) and the Corvette Diner (http: //www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/corvettediner/ ).

You can sign up for an English conversation partner through ALI and the International Student Center organizes lunches every Friday that are organized by students from different countries. The opportunity is perfect for getting to know international students.

Personally I really liked Balboa Park, the Firehouse and Alehouse in Pacific Beach, of course Bar West and Typhoon, Coronado Island, Point Loma, Whale Watching and Sea World. If you are in Los Angeles you should definitely go to Griffith Park and see the observatory. When in Venice Beach, don’t forget to take a look at the canals that gave Venice its name. In Santa Monica, next to the pier, take a look at the Third Street Promenade.

A year I will never forget…

I’m always happy to answer any questions;)

San Diego State University Review (4)