University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
SDSU American Language Institute (Pre-MBA Program)
The 18-week pre-MBA program is not a language course in the traditional sense, but includes targeted exam preparation for the TOEFL and GMAT tests. Sufficient points in both tests are a prerequisite for admission to an academic MBA program. See ehuacom for Slovenia higher education.
After an initial placement test, you will be divided into different performance classes and, depending on the result, you can also attend up to 2 SDSU courses of your choice/offer. However, I would only recommend attending SDSU courses if you are motivated to do additional learning and work in addition to the ALI classes. Serious TOEFL and GMAT preparation and attending the ALI classes are time-consuming enough on their own…
Many works must also be handed in and then flow into a performance evaluation. Attendance is also checked. Those who were absent too often at the end were not given a diploma.
The teachers at the American Language Institute (ALI) are all very friendly and well qualified, so the quality of the teaching is also very good. If you are a little less serious and do not need test preparation for TOEFL and GMAT, we recommend the IEC program, the content of which is designed more for fun.
Since I didn’t want to have any stress with looking for an apartment after my arrival, I reserved a room in the Piedra del Sol apartments when I registered for school, which I later regretted.
For $620 I had to share the very sparsely furnished apartment with three other students. Two students share a bathroom. For a surcharge, there are also apartments which you only have to share with one person and then also have their own bathroom.
Duvet, bed linen, hangers, etc. must all be bought by yourself. The kitchen is also kept very simple. If you want to cook for yourself, you have to make do with a small refrigerator (it has to be shared with up to three roommates). Kitchen supplies must of course also be purchased. Best to share with roommates.
For those who prefer not to cook for themselves, I can recommend the canteen of the University Towers (Dormitorjes) for lunch and dinner. There was a discretionary buffet for $10. Salad buffet, various hot buffets, dessert buffets, various drinks…
Piedra Del Sol positive:
- From my point of view, the only significant advantage of the Piedra Del Sol apartment complex is that it is located directly opposite the ALI building. If the background noise allows it, you can sleep in a little longer and don’t need a car to get to school
- 2 free car parking spaces per apartment
Piedra Del Sol negative:
- You can’t choose the roommates you have to or are allowed to live with for a while. So it’s a lottery. Unfortunately, there are always roommates who don’t take hygiene in the bathroom and kitchen very seriously. Unfortunately I have to speak from experience… : -/
- As an ALI student, you are not assigned to apartments with Americans, which is a shame, of course
- Rooms are very small and shabby. Tiny bed, chest of drawers and built in wardrobe. That’s it, desk and chair? None! If you want to study properly, the best thing to do is to go to the library.
- The rooms are very noisy, if you sleep sensitively, you will suffer
- Room doors cannot be locked. Fortunately, nothing was ever stolen from me, but since you have no control over whether the apartment door is always closed and who goes in and out, there is of course a certain potential for danger…
- There is no TV, you have to buy it yourself. TV and Internet connection must be paid separately. Can of course be shared with roommates.
- The average age of the Piedra Del Sol residents is very young (20-22 years), for me as soon 30s of course a disadvantage
Better to arrive a few days before school starts, stay in a motel or hotel, rent a car, explore the area, study the housing listings (craigslist.org) and stop by. So you can then also choose the people with whom you want to live together. In any case, there are many houses near the campus which are rented by students and have vacant rooms.
Automobile
It is definitely a must, not much is possible in California without a car. Traveling by public transport is not fun. Especially when driving the bus you notice that only the lower class is on the road. The best public transport is the San Diego Trolley, a train that stops right on the SDSU campus. It is always worth buying a cheap car from a private person for a semester. Most dealers are rascals and try to rip off foreign students. I don’t trust the promised guarantees anyway. If you then have a problem, this is certainly not covered by the
guarantee.
The dealers buy the cars privately, add $1000 to the purchase price and then just display them in their yard. They don’t do more either. So I prefer to buy privately at a cheaper price. So it’s best to rent a car and visit the objects of desire. Cheap private cars can also be found on craigslist.org, which is where I found my car. A nice Chrysler Sebring Convertible for $4000 which a week later looked like the photo above due to a third party (drunk driver).
But that’s another story again… : -/
It is important not to forget to take out liability insurance immediately after buying a car! If you are unsure, you can of course have the car checked by a garage after consultation with the owner before making a definitive purchase. But you never have 100% security with such cheap cars. When in doubt, it’s better to spend a little more than save in the wrong place.
Exit
On the weekends I was mostly on the Pacific Beach (PB), Down Town or La Jolla. PB is cheaper ($5-10) and the base population is younger than downtown. Down Town the clubs are classier (Stingeree, On Broadway), but of course also more expensive. Admission around $20 and parking costs an additional $10-20. Don’t forget to take your passport or driving license with you, otherwise you won’t get in anywhere.