University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
I’ve always wanted to do a semester abroad in the USA. I became aware of MicroEdu through an information event at my university of applied sciences. MicroEdu will help you find the right university. After I decided on San Diego State University (SDSU), I had to put together my application documents. The MicroEdu staff were always available to answer my questions and were a great help. Proof of sufficient financial resources, a transcript of grades, a learning agreement and proof of language proficiency in the form of TOEFL, IELTS are required for the application or proof that at least two subjects had already been successfully completed in English were required. When I had all the documents together, I applied in mid-December 2014. The documents are submitted directly to MicroEdu, who then forward them to San Diego State University after checking them for completeness. I received the confirmation in mid-January 2015. See act-test-centers for top 5 MBA programs in the USA.
Next, I made an appointment for the visa at the embassy in Frankfurt and the flight to San Diego cared for. It is advisable to make the appointment at the embassy as early as possible, as you usually have to wait a long time for an available appointment. Through SDSU I was able to apply to Fifty Twenty-Five, an apartment complex. I did that too, but unfortunately I couldn’t get an apartment anymore. After finding an apartment in Germany turned out to be difficult, I decided to look for an apartment locally. Since my flight was at the beginning of August and the lectures were not until August 24th. started, I booked a room in a hostel for the first two weeks. I can recommend Lucky D’s in downtown San Diego. Many international students have stayed here and you quickly meet new people. Finding a place to live locally was harder than I thought since the apartments were sometimes very expensive. After looking at some private apartments, I asked the “Fifty Twenty-Five” again if they still had a room. Luckily they still had some rooms to let and I was able to move in mid-August. The “5025” offers a shuttle service to and from SDSU from Monday to Friday, has a pool, a fitness studio and barbecue areas. Since many students live there, you quickly get to know new people (including many Americans). The “5025” offers a shuttle service to and from SDSU from Monday to Friday, has a pool, a fitness studio and barbecue areas. Since many students live there, you quickly get to know new people (including many Americans). The “5025” offers a shuttle service to and from SDSU from Monday to Friday, has a pool, a fitness studio and barbecue areas. Since many students live there, you quickly get to know new people (including many Americans).
In the week before the start of the semester, all international students attended the introductory events. You had to register at SDSU, which also gave you your student ID. The course selection process was also explained to us. They also offered a free bus tour of San Diego which I would recommend to anyone as it shows many of San Diego’s sights.
SDSU’s campus is very large and beautiful. There are several food courts, sports fields, a basketball stadium, a gym and a swimming pool. As an international student you can join the gym and swimming pool for free. The university also offers free tickets to the SDSU football team and I recommend everyone to watch at least one game.
Since as an international student you have to choose two “special session courses” in advance, I already had them and I only had to look for two more courses on site. The “Special Session Courses” are for international students only and consist of a limited offer. Since not all courses were full, you could dial into two more on site. I did this and so I had my four courses together.
My courses were:
- marketing,
- human resource management
- Management and Organizational Behavior and
- Introduction to Operations and Supply Chain Management.
I had two to three exams per subject spread over the semester, lots of presentations or group work, homework and quizzes. In addition, attendance was compulsory in almost all courses. Despite the great effort involved, I can recommend the courses because you learned a lot and they were also very interesting.
I really enjoyed living in San Diego. The people are very friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant throughout the semester. In addition to the university, I also found enough time to travel. Among other things, I was in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Grand Canyon. There are also many interesting places to explore in San Diego. The beaches, Balboa Park, Coronado Island, La Jolla, Old Town, Sunset Cliffs and the San Diego Zoo are definitely worth a visit.
I can recommend everyone to find out about accommodation on the Internet ahead of time so that the search for an apartment on the spot goes faster. In order to be mobile in San Diego, you should buy the semester ticket for the trolley at SDSU for about $150. There is a trolley station right on campus that provides easy access to downtown, the Mission Valley and Fashion Valley shopping malls, and the bus station in Old Town.
Overall, the semester in San Diego was a unique experience and I highly recommend spending a semester abroad at San Diego State University.