University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: business administration
Study type: semester abroad
University and courses
The institute responsible for all international students, ALI, was very well organized, so there was no need to worry too much about organizational matters at the university. The contact persons were always available and very helpful. They were able to prepare the students very well for their choice of subjects. See jibin123 for 10 best cities to study in Portugal.
The university library offered attractive facilities for learning and was open 24 hours a day.
Unfortunately, there was no student canteen at the university like you know it from Germany, but only a so-called “food court” with different fast food dishes including salads. Some kiosks or a Starbucks can also be found there.
Outside of the university, the university offered the students the opportunity to take part in sports activities alongside their studies. Many sports such as surfing, which is in great demand, could be learned. The university also had its own swimming pool with whirlpool, soccer fields and its own gym with sauna. There was also a sports hall where all ball sports were offered to participate.
The “lifestyle” of a student at SDSU really came into its own when the AZTECS varsity basketball or football games were played. An indispensable MUST for every student! The performances of the orchestras and cheerleaders as well as the cheering crowds during the games made watching even more exciting.
Outside of SDSU, San Diego offered an incredible amount of nightlife and entertainment, and always had good weather conditions. The paradise beaches Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, Coronado Beach are indispensable for a “San Diegian”. There you could watch the breathtaking sunsets.
For going out, the many bars and clubs on Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and downtown were highly recommended. The prices are still acceptable compared to other cities. Unfortunately, you always had to take your passport with you, otherwise you were not allowed entry. You can apply for a California ID card so you don’t have to carry your passport with you everywhere.
Furthermore, some attractions such as Balboa Park, Qualcomm Stadium and the various burger shops (Five Guys, Rockys, In-N-Out,…) are highly recommended. Personally, I do not recommend the “SeaWorld” water park because the animals are not treated appropriately.
My courses
I completed the following courses at SDSU: The bachelor’s subject Fundamentals of Finance with Prof. Haddad and the two master’s subjects Financial Management II with Prof. Moon and Communication Strategy with Prof. Penrose. In order to retain master’s status as a student, every master’s student was allowed to choose a bachelor’s subject. The finance subjects were not the best choice for my Information Management course. Especially in Financial Management II, a lot of background knowledge was required, which I found very difficult to catch up on. Fortunately, no homework was assigned in either of the finance subjects. However, we were given exercises that prepared us for the intermediate exams.
The Communication Strategy event is to be recommended to everyone. Here I was able to learn a lot about the right presentation, among other things. We were taught the techniques and methods for presenting, which we were allowed to put into practice ourselves. I loved that our presentations were individually videotaped and rated by viewers.
Housing situation
During the semester I lived in the immediate vicinity of the university. I stayed in a family complex with three other students where I shared a room with one student. The rent was $450 and the apartment was fully furnished. Rental costs for single rooms are unfortunately very expensive there. Buses went to the university every 15 minutes.
A ticket for all public transport is available at the university for 135 US dollars. Since San Diego is known for its beautiful beaches, I recommend everyone to stay near the beach. From my own experience, among other things, you spend very little time at the university. Many points are very difficult to reach by public transport. The university is very remote from downtown and the beaches. Accordingly, everyone is advised to rent or buy a car with fellow students.
Organization and finances
The strenuous part is probably the organization before the stay abroad. Nevertheless, I want to encourage everyone to take on this strenuous part, because it will be worth it for you – I promise!
I recommend everyone to apply to SDSU through MicroEdu. They accompany and help during the preparations.
I mainly received financial support from the Auslands-BAföG. The tuition fees of 4600 euros and a monthly pocket money for flight costs, insurance, rent etc. will be made available to you.
I received further support from the PROMOS grant of 1000 euros. I had to find between 4,000 and 5,000 euros out of my own pocket because I had traveled to many well-known cities in California, including the states of Hawaii and New York.
Conclusion
As the only Koblenz student from the University of Koblenz who attended the SDSU in California in the 2014 winter semester, I want to encourage everyone to embark on this adventure on their own. It is a unique experience in which you personally gain a lot of experience and learn to live independently. The bad thing about San Diego, I found, was that it was very difficult to speak English all the time, since you mainly met international students from Germany. However, it was great fun getting to know new people from different countries and spending time with them.
Personally, I was able to broaden my intellectual horizon with this adventure and take a lot with me. You have to be willing to take a lot with you and travel a lot, otherwise you won’t be in the right place in San Diego. In the immediate vicinity you will find the well-known cities of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc. You still have the option of traveling to Mexico with the F-1 visa during your studies without any problems.