University: San Diego State University
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
Application to San Diego State University
The application went very easily and smoothly thanks to MicroEdu. At this point, many thanks again to the MicroEdu team, without whom the planning of the semester abroad probably would not have been as easy as it is. Visit toppharmacyschools.org to get information about Kwantlen Polytechnic University study abroad program.
For the application, a few documents had to be submitted, including financial proof and language skills, which I verified through the DAAD test. I was able to acquire this language certificate very easily and inexpensively at my university. Otherwise, the documents to be submitted were clearly listed in MicroEdu’s to-do list. The home university did not cause me any problems with the Learning Agreement either, so that after submitting the complete application and transferring the tuition fees, I received an acceptance relatively quickly.
Now it was time to apply for the visa, which I did in Frankfurt. That wasn’t a big problem either and soon I got my passport and visa sent to me. It must be said that MicroEdu always answered all questions quickly and informatively and the documents provided made the application enormously easier. It might be possible to do it without their help, but it would probably take a lot more time. They were also informed about updates regarding changes at San Diego State University.
Studies and courses taken
I took 3 Special Courses (MGT 475 – Leadership in Organizations, FIN 329 – International Business Finance and MGT 357 – Multinational Business & Comparative Mgmt) and a General Course (RTM 468 – Marketing, Financing and Assessment in Recreation and Tourism Management).
From the courses I would choose MGT 475, MGT 357 and RTM 468 again, because the effort was limited and very good grades were also possible. You learned a lot in FIN 329, but it was harder to get a good grade. Basically, all exams were MC exams, which were absolutely feasible. In MGT 475 and MGT 357 there were also group presentations in which you were divided into teams and had to work on a topic during the semester. I was very lucky with the teams and I got to know a lot of fellow students as a result.
But it should also be noted that the special courses are only attended by internationals. Since there were a lot of Germans in the courses, German was spoken very often. The level was really low compared to Germany, so you didn’t really have to learn much. In addition to your studies, you had a lot of time for other activities. However, attendance was compulsory in all of my courses, which I didn’t think was a bad thing, because it meant you spent more time on campus, which has a lot to offer.
Accomodation:
Like many others, I first wanted to look for accommodation on site. When I arrived at the airport, I went to Lucky D’s for a week, where I met some future fellow students. Especially if you start the semester abroad alone, it makes sense to stay there, because you really got to know a lot of new people there, with whom you can do a lot later.
Since I was there at the end of July and was one of the first in San Diego, the selection was quite large. I then decided on a house in Pacific Beach not far from the beach. In hindsight I would do it the same way again as I could look at the potential accommodations and choose the best. Also living in Pacific Beach was a dream as you could always go to the beach which was one of my reasons for going to San Diego but was also great for going out. However, if you live on the beach (Mission or Pacific Beach), you have to keep in mind that a car is essential, especially to get to the university. If you’re worried about not finding a place to stay, I don’t know of anyone who ended up without a place to stay; you always find something.
Leisure and excursion possibilities
There were just so many opportunities in San Diego that you can never fully explore in one semester. San Diego alone has so much to offer, all the beaches (Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Coronado, La Jolla,…), but also neighborhoods and hikes in the area make the city incredibly attractive. Mexico can also be reached quickly and I can only recommend the Outlet Las Americas on the border.
There are also many opportunities for road trips, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Death Valley, Yosemite, San Francisco and Highway 1, so both city trips and national parks are possible for road trips over a weekend. So use it to plan each weekend relatively early, because especially at the end of the semester there are more things on the to-do list than there is time left. The to-do list tends to get longer as the semester progresses. San Diego is therefore ideal for traveling if you are not just doing a semester abroad to study.
Some fellow students also flew to Hawaii, Canada, Cancun or something similar for a weekend, since San Diego has completely different options than Germany.
Do’s and don’ts
Since you don’t want to read a novel here either, here’s a short list of dos and don’ts:
DOS:
- Living on the Beach (Pacific Beach/Mission Beach)
- Don’t be afraid to go on a semester abroad alone, you make a lot of friends incredibly quickly and it’s also nice to see that you can do everything on your own
- Rent a car (DirtCheap or ExpressCar), as this gives you a lot more flexibility and you can see a lot more in the already short semester
- Use all the offers of the university, especially the free ones of the ARC (basketball court, swimming pool, bowling,…), but also those of the MBAC (surf courses or the $5 taster course, wakeboarding is recommended)
- Going to Aztec football and basketball games was also free for students
- road trips
- Plan enough money, in my opinion at least €15,000 for everything
- Do a semester abroad at San Diego State University, despite the cost, I couldn’t have imagined a better semester abroad
Don’ts
- Don’t do a semester abroad out of laziness, the effort is limited thanks to MicroEdu
- wasting time and opportunities for activities in vain; 5/6 months may sound like a long time, but in San Diego it went by far too quickly
- Don’t worry, everything will be fine in the end : )
