Study in San Diego State University (7)

By | September 26, 2021

First off, I have to say that I was very happy with MicroEDU. I first found out about a semester abroad from an agency in Berlin and was not at all satisfied with the advice. So I would definitely recommend that you get information from various organizations and thus be able to make a good decision. I found it very difficult with this one. In California there are many good universities, in the end, but I’m incredibly happy, opting for San Diego to have met. Various aspects contribute to this, but especially the university, the people, the relaxed vibe, surfing with dolphins and seals, lots of hours of sunshine at…

All in all, it was just a wonderful and relaxed semester. But I think other universities would not have been a wrong decision either … so just write your application and go

Application process

It seems like a lot of work at first, but it’s all very doable. Even if I really cannot recommend this to anyone, it is also possible to get the whole thing done in a few weeks. It’s all very well organized by MicroEDU and you get the help you need. Read more student reviews on Iamaccepted.

Studies, university and courses

The SDSU is really a dream: The campus is beautiful with its white buildings and the greenery around them. There is everything one could want, two gyms, bowling, swimming pool, all sorts of food, lots of jobs. Typically American with everything that goes with it.

You do the semester at SDSU through the ALI (American Language Institute). This organizes the introductory events for the internationals as well as the special sessions and is always available if you have any questions. However, I find that the ALI organizes too few events that give you the opportunity to get to know other internationals. However, this later turned out to be an advantage as I got to know more Americans.

I am studying economics and can take subjects from business administration and economics. That’s why I applied through the business program, otherwise you can’t take courses at the business college. In the business program you have to attend two special sessions, both of which I didn’t like that much. In addition, there are mainly international students in these courses. I liked my other two courses much better. So if you don’t have to, I wouldn’t choose the special sessions.

You already have exams, quizzes, homework and projects during the semester. I thought that was great because you always have something to do for the university, but you never get into great stress and the pressure for the final exams is not so great.

Marketing, Lisa Haddock (special session)

I would choose again. It is not exactly exciting, the professor is not very motivated, but for me it is a compulsory subject and was easy to do without a lot of work.

Human Resource Management, DelCastillo (special session)

I would definitely not recommend it. Although he has a lot of experience in his field and can chat from the sewing box and you can feel his passion for human resources, I think that his requirements are not made clear. He doesn’t give you the right idea of ​​his exams in his class, I found it hard to find any reference point for his assessments. This also applies in particular to his academic achievements. All in all too disorganized.

Intermediate Marcoeconomics, Bruce Silverman

I liked the course a lot. Although the professor is extremely disorganized, this is never to the detriment of the students. On the contrary, a good grade is easy to get here. I also liked the fact that he doesn’t always stick to his curriculum strictly, but also discusses current topics, I learned a lot about stocks here.

Introduction to Econometrics, Tia Hilmer

If I would take it again, it is a compulsory subject for my studies. It is certainly a more difficult course, which the professor also makes very clear at the beginning, in order to get rid of unmotivated people. But you don’t need to be afraid of this course, if I take it up and deal with things, you will get this course well done. It is certainly easier than comparable ones in Germany. I really liked the two data projects that you have to create here.

Accommodation

Finding affordable accommodation in San Diego is a chore. I would budget around $ 1,000 for a private room. If you share the room, it gets cheaper (around $ 700) and the location is the main determinant of the price. However, I would by no means skimp on the location. Many of the internationals live in the BLVD63, a dormitory near the university. Personally, I decided against it and I am very happy about it. You spend a lot of time there with other internationals and it is also known as a party dormitory.

I lived in Pacific Beach and loved it. I would definitely use this semester to live on the beach (Pacific or Mission Beach). Since I didn’t have a car, it took me an hour to get to university, but since I only had university twice a week, that wasn’t a problem (and you get to see beautiful sunsets every evening ). I found my room through an American contact, which is definitely the easiest option. It didn’t work for me at all via Craigslist. Facebook groups are a great way. I’ve also heard good things about San Diego Student Housing.

For the first time I can recommend the Ocean Beach Hostel. There you meet a lot of people, including other foreign students, which will make the start of the semester easy for you.

Leisure

You can get everything you could want in San Diego. You can organize your semester abroad according to your own taste. I spent a lot of time on the beach and surfing, which was one of the reasons why I chose San Diego. However, I cannot recommend the semester surf course at the university. I took the intermediate surf course and didn’t like it at all. The courses are way too big and the surf instructors don’t teach you anything. If you still have to collect a few ECTS, then that is certainly a possibility – but not to really learn to surf. Better to spend the money on a reasonable, albeit shorter, course and then go surfing with your own board.

I bought my surfboard from Bird’s Surf Shed and was extremely satisfied. Everyone is super nice, perfect advice, student discounts and they also buy the board back at the end if you don’t want to take it with you to Germany.

Many internationals spend their time with various parties, of which there are certainly more than enough. There are also many great cafes and restaurants, huge shopping malls and plenty of excursion destinations nearby. As I said, San Diego gives you the opportunity to do what you want out of your semester abroad. And I recommend that to you too. Think about what you expect from the semester beforehand. For me it was clearly surfing, living near the sea and more contact with Americans than with other Germans.

Time will go by incredibly quickly, so enjoy!

Study in San Diego State University 6