When I decided to go abroad for a semester , I imagined the entire planning to be very complicated, as San Diego State University is not a partner university of my university in Germany. With the help of MicroEDU , however, it was not. Step by step, the staff pointed out what to do. Some of the documents could even be sent by email to the supervising employee, who then passed them on for me to the University of San Diego. For general questions about life in San Diego were also answered quickly by email or phone and in this way well prepared for the stay in San Diego.
When booking the plane tickets , I decided to book a return flight straight away. In retrospect, however, I would not do it in order to remain flexible until the end and to be able to extend my stay in the USA if necessary. Some trips during the semester should also be organized spontaneously on site, as attendance is mandatory in all courses and absence must first be discussed with the professors.
The first week in San Diego I stayed in a hostel in downtown. This was not very nice but cheap and perfectly adequate for a week. I also got to know many other international students and future fellow students there, so I would advise everyone to stay in a hostel. During that week I was looking for a place to stay. Preferably I was looking for something in Pacific Beach or Mission Beach. In my opinion, these areas are perfect for international students because, on the one hand, younger students (under 21 years of age) live in the “College Area” and, on the other hand, many activities are possible both during the day and in the evening, especially on the beach. ThereIn August, the high tourist season in San Diego, it was not easy to find something suitable and cheap on the beach. Therefore, you should plan more than a week to look for accommodation. Social media can also be useful here. For example, there are various groups on Facebook in which, for example, roommates are searched for. Since San Diego is particularly popular with German students, this makes it easier to set up an international flat share to improve your English. One should also take into account that one month rent for the depositmust be provided. The monthly rents can be around $ 900 for a shared room, since San Diego is not exactly a cheap city. Of course, the location and condition (furnished or not) must also be taken into account.
In my opinion, a car is also indispensable in San Diego, California’s second largest city. Public transport is abundant, but the journeys from A to B take a long time. Many students buy a car on site and sell it before they leave. That is certainly the cheaper option. However, if you are not very familiar with cars and do not want to deal with any repairs, you can rent a car “relatively” cheaply at “Dirt and Cheap Car Rental”. You should also take care of this early on, as good cars are quickly sold out.
Studying at the SDSU
As a master’s student at SDSU, I attended three courses, one of which was a bachelor’s degree. All three courses were so-called “special sessions”that didn’t have to be “crashed”. I have heard from other students that there were some problems with “crashing” and therefore it was not very easy to get into a course with American students. I made it easy for myself by choosing exclusively “Special Sessions”. With a maximum of 25 international students, the courses were similar to school lessons, as oral grades were also given and homework had to be done in advance. Books should also be bought for almost every course. However, these costs up to $ 150 even when used. Before making a purchase, it is worthwhile to ask around whether someone may have a file or is willing to have someone copy the book. Otherwise there is the possibility to borrow books from Amazon Student. Nonetheless, people were happy to go there. The university is very big and beautiful as you know it from American films. Numerous sports facilities such as a swimming pool and a fitness studio are available to the students at any time and free of charge. Furthermore, the students have the opportunity to attend the football games of the “Aztecs” in the Qualcomm Stadium for free. That should not be missed! Unlike what is known from German universities, there was unfortunately no cafeteria or free parking space on campus. However, there are typically numerous fast food restaurants such as Subway and Jack in the Box on campus, so at least one does not starve to death in an emergency. For about 150 dollars you had the opportunity to get a semester parking ticket. Which was okay when you shared a car with someone. However, there are typically numerous fast food restaurants such as Subway and Jack in the Box on campus, so at least one does not starve to death in an emergency. For about 150 dollars you had the opportunity to get a semester parking ticket. Which was okay when you shared a car with someone. However, there are typically numerous fast food restaurants such as Subway and Jack in the Box on campus, so at least one does not starve to death in an emergency. For about 150 dollars you had the opportunity to get a semester parking ticket. Which was okay when you shared a car with someone.
Check topschoolsintheusa for more about The College of Engineering at San Diego State University.
Life in San Diego
The city is not called “Americas finest city” for nothing ! The weather is always good, the people are always in a good mood and very friendly. There are so many beautiful corners like Coronado Beach, Balboa Park, the Gaslamp district and almost every area there. At Mission Beach you can buy a surfboard for as little as $ 10 to borrow for the whole day. That is also very recommendable! If you are lucky, you can also watch some dolphins play in the waves on Pacific or Mission Beach and you won’t soon forget it. The city also has a lot to offer for students, especially in the evenings. Party buses from both the College Area and Pacific Beach run every weekend and offer a great opportunity to party in Downtown or Pacific or Mission Beach or to attend concerts by some of the stars who perform in clubs. But even within the week it doesn’t get boring on the beach. Taco Tuesday and Thirsty Thursday are almost mandatory in beach areas and don’t allow students to get bored during the week. For shopping you also have a few options in San Diego. The best way to do that is in Fashion or Mission Valley. There are also some bargains to be found in the “Las Americas” outlet on the Mexican border. The great life in San Diego, however, has its price. Food, especially healthy ones like fruit and vegetables, are very expensive – it is almost cheaper to go out to eat than to cook yourself all the time. Cosmetics and everyday things that you need in the household are also more expensive than in Germany. You can get a small discount if you have your membership card issued at supermarkets like Ralphs and Vons or if you are willing to drive further afield and shop in grocery stores like Food4less or Downtown. The good location of the city also ensures that cities such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco are easy to reach and must therefore be visited! It is worth it! Especially to Las Vegas there are bus tours that are specially organized for students and are not very expensive – the city is particularly cheap for girls, as promoters help them get into almost every club for free and pay nothing for drinks up to a certain time have to.
Sending money is definitely very easy in California! Therefore, the budget for this semester abroad should be planned generously, as you should try to take as much with you and see as much as possible! It’s expensive, but every penny is worth it! It was the best time of my studies and I would go back to San Diego in a heartbeat!
