University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: Business Administration, Marketing
Study type: semester abroad
San Diego State University, a beautiful university in California. I try to write the report in a structured way and concentrate on a chronological sequence of events.
After our arrival in CA we stayed in a motel for the first 5 days because we didn’t know which apartment to take. The first question to ask yourself is whether you want to stay close to uni, which can get boring after a while, or do you want to experience more of the beach and down town. Our decision was made quickly. We chose an apartment on the other side of Highway #8. It is positive to note that the connection to the university is greater and in exam time you can quickly go to the library to study. We paid $1275 for our condo, which we divided by three. Visit mcat-test-centers.com to get information about California State University Long Beach.
All the “stories” with the ALI placement test here and there aren’t that bad. It sometimes sounds worse than in reality. The test itself should not be underestimated, but for those who have written the TOEFL, the ALI test is a fart.
The course allocation (crashing) is also not that difficult and bad. If the professors have space and are interested in foreign students, then you will get the space. If this isn’t the case, you’ll find out right away and don’t waste your time.
I would personally recommend that you attend as many lectures and collect as many signatures as possible in the first few days. I had up to 6 signatures in the first 3 or 4 days. By already enrolling in courses, you can make your schedule easier later on. So you can see how the courses fall on the days of the week and times…
The university is awesome. The buildings are huge, but the classrooms are relatively small, which is positive (effective learning). The University of Hamburg is a mass university, so it was new territory for us. It was like back to school again…
The library is great, the rooms are equipped with the latest PCs and there is no shortage of media. Unfortunately, the library does not have enough books and the books are expensive in the USA. But here’s my tip: Buy used books and sell them later. This is a great idea in CA (USA) and works wonderfully. I made just $50 minus on the purchase of 2 books. That pays off. Don’t buy the books again, try to get it as soon as possible.
PS.: Try spending a weekend in the library, i.e. in the 24-hour area. To all men, you will notice that the women who come to the UNI at half past two in the morning and are scantily clad are more attractive than the women down town. We were so surprised when suddenly 12 women in hot pants came to study. They started learning and we stopped learning. The concentration was gone and …….
The lessons and the exams are in almost all multiple choice. The level is possibly a little lower than in HH and if you prepare well for the exams, you won’t experience any surprises. What is taught is also queried and not like in German. The opportunities to get in touch with the professors are great. In my whole life/school career/university I have never experienced such nice and understanding teachers/professors. You will learn and remember this yourself.
You won’t forget your time and the opportunities for things to do in CA are huge.
I don’t want to talk about the costs at first, because the costs can vary individually. You can get away with it sparingly and spend 3000 euros excl. Bafög or travel around and spend 6000 euros excl. Bafög (the case with me). So that’s your decision. If you try to pack your money at Deutsche Bank (in the checking account), you can have money in San Diego for free and you only pay the spot rate.
If you have any questions, just get in touch. I will try to answer many things for you.
Thanks and have fun in SD.
