University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
Application
Good organization right from the application phase saves a lot of work and stress. Adhering to certain deadlines ( Auslandsbafög, university application deadline, *course selection, etc.) is very important, otherwise unnecessary problems arise that could have been avoided. Although MicroEdu will give you the best support, I advise you to be well organized when applying and going forward. So start planning early, for example by making an agenda with deadlines, by which date what should be done. It can always happen that something is delayed or that you have to submit something later. Visit mcat-test-centers.com to get information about Boston University.
*Being an economist myself, the information on choosing courses relates to the economic field:
SDSU offers Special Session courses and General courses. The special sessions are offered especially for exchange students, so that no American students attend the courses. Master’s students must have chosen one of these courses before the start of the semester and Bachelor ‘s students must have chosen two of these courses before the start of the semester. Before this election, however, MicroEdu will inform you again and give you the necessary information ahead of time.
The General Courses are the normal courses offered to American students. You can also register here. However, only on site. For this you have to go to the first lecture of the desired course with your transcript from Germany and a form – which you can get at the SDSU. The professor will then check your documents and sign the form stating that you are enrolled in his/her course.
Costs
The semester abroad in San Diego is not exactly cheap. The first costs are already incurred with the visa. It is advisable to book the flight ticket early, as the ticket prices are then not too expensive and thus increased travel costs can be saved.
The cost of living in San Diego is high. On average you should expect around $1000 – $1500 per month. Especially the high rent and food prices have a large share in these costs.
The high cost of the course materials should also not be underestimated. Books and course readers are particularly expensive. However, one can minimize these costs by purchasing the necessary materials from the SDSU bookstore (located on campus) with fellow students. You can then scan them in the library and use them in electronic format. Another solution is to borrow the documents from the bookstore. This variant is very cheap. Finally, there is the possibility of finding some books and articles on the Internet. The course costs should not be underestimated!
Accommodation
It is advisable to organize accommodation before leaving for San Diego. This has the reason, among other things, to save accommodation costs in hostels, which are not necessarily cheap. It also saves you the stress of going from one place to another as you may have limited mobility at first.
The internet platform “Craigslist.org” offers a very good opportunity to find flat shares or apartments.
Boulevard 63 is also very popular with students. It’s student-only, and the service from Boulevard 63 even offers multiple daily shuttles to SDSU. The coastal areas of Pacific Beach and Mission Beach are also popular with students. These have the advantage that you live very close to the beach, but are further away from the SDSU.
The college area also has comfortable accommodation options. Here, too, you have to act early, because they find tenants quickly.
A general average price of the rental costs cannot be said. If, for example, you set up a flat-sharing community, you can save quite a bit on these costs. However, at least $500 is usually to be expected. Individual apartments can cost up to $1200.
If you would like to organize accommodation on site, the Lucky’Ds hostel is recommended for the first few days.
If you would like to travel outside of California, for example to the east coast, then it is advisable to register on the “ www.airbnb.com ” platform. Private landlords (rooms, apartments, houses, etc.) are registered here, from whom you can rent accommodation as required. For example, I used this platform when I traveled to New York and was very satisfied.
Mode of Transport
Mobility is of course very important during a semester abroad. After all, you want to see or travel as much as possible and gain new experiences.
Many students buy or rent their own car. A car is not only important for travelling, but also for everyday use (shopping or getting around). Especially if you live further away from SDSU (e.g. in Pacific Beach) it is important to have your own car, otherwise it would be a long way to the university. The car is also good for traveling. Because that way you are independent and not tied to travel tours. Road trips can be even more fun with friends.
However, San Diego also has good **public transportation**. Both the tram and the bus connections are very good, so you can reach the desired places at any time.
What I definitely recommend are the apps “uber” and “lyft”. These allow you to order “private taxis” from your area at any time (7/24) and, in contrast to normal taxis, are quite cheap. Uber and Lyft are not only anchored locally in San Diego, but the service can be used throughout the USA.
*If you don’t want to rent a car, the travel organization “Americanhosttours” is highly recommended. Tours throughout California are offered here (www.americanhosttours.com/).
**The semester ticket can be purchased at the basketball stadium counters at the beginning of the semester for around $140 and is valid for the entire semester. You can use all public transport. So if you don’t rent a car, this option is recommended.
The San Diego State University
The SDSU has a very nice campus and offers many opportunities to spend your free time. A large fitness center, own swimming pool, sports fields, basketball arena are just a few of them in terms of sporting activities. Of course, as an SDSU student, everything is free. You can even get college basketball and football tickets for free at the counters. However, you have to be quick, especially for the basketball tickets, otherwise they are quickly “sold out”.
There are also plenty of places to eat on campus. A food court with Mexican fast food restaurants, subway, pizza, Panda Express or a salad bar. Of course there is also a great burger shop, “Habit Burger”. There are also several cafes, including 2 Starbucks, where you can drink coffee in a cozy atmosphere.
The faculty and students at SDSU are very nice and open. Especially with the lecturers you really notice that they want to help you and are interested in the success of the students. So they always have an open ear for you.
Living in San Diego
Of course, life in San Diego has a lot to offer…college parties, shopping (Fashion Valley, Las Americas Outlet etc.), travel (La Jolla, Potato Chip Walk, Balboa Park, Pacific Beach, Mission Beach etc.), activities at SDSU etc. The people in San Diego are usually very open and helpful. So don’t be afraid to talk to people if you don’t know what to do.
Because the city is close to the Mexican border, there is of course a high level of Mexican influence. You see that every now and then everywhere. Therefore it can be advantageous to speak a little Spanish on a case-by-case basis.
Conclusion
In summary, the semester abroad at SDSU is simply a great experience and will definitely be one of the best times in your life. As already mentioned, life in San Diego is not cheap. However, you should consider that you are in a semester abroad and allow yourself the exceptions. In addition, with good planning and organization – as has been shown so far in this report – you can save a lot of costs so that you can keep an eye on the expenses.
