University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: Business Administration, International Business Administration
Study type: semester abroad
The organization of a semester abroad as a “free mover” is very time-consuming, but can also be implemented in a short time. I only decided in mid/end of May to do a semester abroad in the winter semester. MicroEdu’s support is very helpful because you know exactly what preparations to think about and when. Visit mcat-test-centers.com to get information about North Park University.
Housing
I stayed at Blvd63 during my time in San Diego and was very happy with my decision. It was important for me to have safe accommodation before the start of my semester abroad, and Blvd63 was a good choice for that. If you ask early enough, it is worth asking about a short-term lease so that you have the option of a six-month lease. You should be prepared for the fact that, in addition to the rent, there are still very high monthly electricity costs. But I had no problems with back payments after the end of the contractand there is no deposit from which deductions can be made. Blvd63 hosts many parties on the weekends. Living on the beach is nicer for the afternoons, but I, for example, had uni every morning at 9 amfrom Monday to Friday, and was then very grateful not to have to travel long distances. If you move to the beach, you will definitely need a car and even if you share a car, you should be prepared that you will not have the same lecture times as your fellow passengers.
Costs
Although San Diego is one of the most beautiful cities in the USA, it is also one of the most expensive. The cost of living is significantly higher than in Germany and you should make sure you have a sufficient budget. Both groceries and drugstore products are significantly more expensive than here. I would therefore recommend taking sufficient hygiene products with you or having products brought to you if you have visitors. A sufficient budget should also be considered for travel etc. In my opinion, the financial statement requested by the university is far from sufficient.
San Diego State University
The university with its campus is highly recommended. I have taken the Human Resource Management, Management and Organizational Behavior, Money and Banking and International Business Finance courses and can recommend them to others. In general, the level is a bit lower than what I knew from my university, for example, and all modules should be easy to do.
San Diego
The city of San Diego is super beautiful and there is so much to do ! The weather there is simply unbeatable! During my time there there were maybe five rainy days and that’s supposed to be a lot. The beaches are great, there is a lot of nature to explore, but downtown is also very impressive. I would recommend everyone to rent a car with others right from the start (USD 400 per month) as public transport is not really good and Uber becomes much more expensive than a car over time. It is also simply more practical for excursions.
Travel
San Diego is in the perfect location to explore much of the United States. The many beautiful cities along the west coast alone are a great destination. I was also in Seattle, Vancouver and Hawaii during my time there! These opportunities should not be missed. Unfortunately, I also had to be present in all modules, so you only have a little less time available, which is why it definitely makes sense to add a few weeks before or after.
Conclusion
I had an amazing time in San Diego and can only recommend the university and the city. If you like partying and meeting new people, you’ve definitely come to the right place. Learning is definitely not the top priority there, but of course it is also part of it.
