University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: Business
Study type: semester abroad
How we found our apartment is probably a very amusing story. It is extremely difficult to know in advance what the apartments will look like and what to expect on site. There are student dormitories on the site, these are well priced but kept quite “simple” in terms of equipment. See andyeducation for California State University Fullerton Study Abroad.
Luckily I spoke to a bus driver for apartments who promptly showed us the area. Hop on, hop off, hop on, hop off, he always let us in and out with this sentence. No sooner said than done, we jumped out just past the College Area. The first apartment we looked at was the cheapest offer with the most perfect facilities and 2 American students in the apartment, which we are now sharing with four of us.
- Car search
Since public transport in San Diego is not comparable to that in Germany, a car is highly recommended. The trolley goes every 20 minutes directly to the university, but from there to the beach it is very difficult. The search for a car turns out to be more difficult than expected. Two very nice SUV-style cars were bought from under our noses. A Mexican wanted to sell us the biggest junk car, but an American made us a pretty solid offer. We accepted the offer and accepted it.
After buying the car, it is then a matter of passing the smoke test and registering the car with the AAA (Automobile Club) and insuring it. Here are the websites that helped us in the first few weeks:
www.hotwire.com (hotel)
www.priceline.com (flight)
www.craigslist.com (everything to buy locally)
www.dollar.com (car)
www. dirtchepcarrental.com (car)
www.hostelword.com (hostel)
- Activities
It’s never boring in San Diego. From baseball to football, everything takes place here in huge stadiums with crazy fans. Many different concerts are also offered at reasonable prices with famous artists such as Usher, Justin Bieber and Marron5. The many beaches at Pacific, Mission, Ocean and Coronado Beach are also worth visiting. Add to that the San Diego Zoo and Sea World. Of course there are many other attractions around San Diego such as Disneyland, Six Flags and the Staples Center where the LA Lakers perform. But more about that see Roadtrip.
- University
Registering with the early registration (I can only recommend everyone) at the university went smoothly. There were also a lot of German students in the queue with whom I got along well and made initial contacts.
In the next few days, it was then a matter of finding the courses on the Internet that one wanted to take and that fit one’s profile. It’s important to write down everything from room to time. A tip: on the website www.raightmyproffessor.com you get a lot of interesting information about the various professors. Another tip: check the campus with its rooms the day before, because on the day of the course you don’t have time to ask how to get from A to B in 10 minutes.
The SDSU campus has a very beautiful, spacious Aztec-style campus that looks very well maintained and inviting. Palm trees, cacti and green space can be found as far as the eye can see. From the inside, however, the buildings remind me of my orientation level. The walls and brickwork are outdated and the chairs with the fixed tables are just plain uncomfortable. Most classes are no larger than 50 people and you should also actively participate in the lessons.
In the center is the Love Library, which is equipped with many new PCs. However, she lacks school books, which you therefore have to buy for expensive money. My tip: buy them used on ebay and then sell them again. In some classes I recommend that you wait before buying the book, since some professors have very good scripts from which you can learn with the same quality.
The university also organizes many sports activities such as tournaments in flag football, soccer, volleyball and other diverse sports such as surfing and bowling. There is also a pool area where you can sunbathe in your free time. I particularly liked the bowling alley on campus, where you could easily bridge some free hours. In addition, the SDSU university teams in basketball, baseball and football are definitely a must and worth seeing. It makes you proud to see your own university team win and to celebrate it with many fellow students.
- Conclusion
No matter how nice the days were here, every good time comes to an end. In the last few days it was time to enjoy it again and do something with many Americans, as they are all going home to their families for the holidays. I left behind many new German and American friends who I will miss very much. I can only recommend studying in San Diego to everyone. It was a lot of fun getting to know a new culture and exchanging ideas with Americans and Mexicans. My English skills have improved significantly, both verbally and in writing. When I think back to the first few days, I now feel a lot more confident, especially when it comes to communication. My tip: Talk to as many people as possible, as a German you will be well received. The more people you meet, the more fun it is to use the English language and you’ll get into circles that you’ll have a lot of fun with. (Fraternity Parties) Hope this report has convinced you to visit the really beautiful San Diego in California.
Have fun on your trip!!!
road trip
Now that we’ve sealed our apartment, car and other things after 2 weeks in San Diego, our road trip started.
1 day
How we would describe the first day in 3 words: hot as hell, exhausting and nerve wrecking. The tour started at 11 am from San Diego to Phoenix (600 km) after we quickly took out insurance, you never know what’s going to happen. As it turned out later, that was our luck. Kai took over the first drive. As we passed the suburbs of San Diego and lost more and more miles from the GPS, the streets became more and more lonely and the trees fewer. After 300 kilometers and one tank less, I took over the journey. A short time later we passed an American control where sniffer dogs searched us for drugs. In addition, the heat and the sun was unbearable, without air conditioning one would not have survived there for long. Around us only sand and cacti, nothing else. Suddenly with 200km to go our car couldn’t accelerate anymore and started to stutter at 65 miles. A great shock ran through our limbs. Our first thought was not to stand in no man’s land in the heat (40 degrees and no wind) and get no help. So it was time to drive slowly and make it as close to the city as possible. We crawled on the Autobahn at a snail’s pace to a workshop (100km before Phoenix), which we found using the navigation system. Half of the people only spoke Mexican and communication was slow. They examined the car and according to them the timing belt was broken. Changing it takes 3-4 hours, but the local people didn’t want to do that. So it was time to crawl towards the city and tremble that we could make it. The next check didn’t wait long for us either. Passport control of the Americans. In front of every control unit, there is fear and hope that you will make progress, because eating cherries with the police is not the order of the day here. Finally, we just arrived in Phoenix at 6 p.m., but no workshop was open anymore. So it was time to look elsewhere and look for a place to sleep. We went to a Motel 6 where we can use free WiFi, shower in the pool and sleep in the parking lot. The only problem is the heat. How are you supposed to sleep in the car at 30 degrees at night? We’ll know more tomorrow!! because eating cherries with the police is not the order of the day here. Finally, we just arrived in Phoenix at 6 p.m., but no workshop was open anymore. So it was time to look elsewhere and look for a place to sleep. We went to a Motel 6 where we can use free WiFi, shower in the pool and sleep in the parking lot. The only problem is the heat. How are you supposed to sleep in the car at 30 degrees at night? We’ll know more tomorrow!! because eating cherries with the police is not the order of the day here. Finally, we just arrived in Phoenix at 6 p.m., but no workshop was open anymore. So it was time to look elsewhere and look for a place to sleep. We went to a Motel 6 where we can use free WiFi, shower in the pool and sleep in the parking lot. The only problem is the heat. How are you supposed to sleep in the car at 30 degrees at night? We’ll know more tomorrow!! The only problem is the heat. How are you supposed to sleep in the car at 30 degrees at night? We’ll know more tomorrow!! The only problem is the heat. How are you supposed to sleep in the car at 30 degrees at night? We’ll know more tomorrow!!
2 day
The heat won!! We had to go to the motel after all, because in the car, despite the night, it was like being in a sauna and you just sweated. In the morning we had to get up early and drive to a workshop, which gave us a friendly welcome. After 5 hours of sitting, water and cornflakes we finally went on and we were so relieved that we didn’t have to stay longer in this city and heat. But after 150km and the first mountains the car gave out again. We looked for the first opportunity to turn around. When we started to turn around, the engine cut out, the foot brake failed and the hand brake no longer applied. The engine was then restarted in a hurry. Luckily everything ran smoothly again, we were able to catch the car and turned around to put the engine through its paces. On the second attempt to climb the mountain, problems arose again. The check engine light came on, the gear shift no longer worked and the automatic gearshift failed so that only the lower gears worked. That meant turning around again and hoping to get back to the workshop. But we were granted that because the engine suddenly ran hot and overheated. We had to park on the highway and wait for roadside assistance to take us. In the heat we then waited almost 2 hours for the tow truck. In the meantime, it was time to set up camping chairs, drink a lot so that you don’t go crazy in the heat (45 degrees). The Roadassistent driver was our age and we got along great right away. He said it doesn’t look so good with our car. He asked for the bill from the garage. This proved to be too expensive for the repairs made. Antoni, the driver, therefore recommended that we take the car to his aunt’s workshop, where it will be examined again tomorrow. We then went to eat delicious food with him and chatted about Las Vegas and his job. Now it’s time to hope and fear whether it will continue tomorrow or not. For now, we just want to go back to San Diego and are fed up with the road trip experience. We’ve had enough of that already. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!! But we have to get through this now. We then went to eat delicious food with him and chatted about Las Vegas and his job. Now it’s time to hope and fear whether it will continue tomorrow or not. For now, we just want to go back to San Diego and are fed up with the road trip experience. We’ve had enough of that already. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!! But we have to get through this now. We then went to eat delicious food with him and chatted about Las Vegas and his job. Now it’s time to hope and fear whether it will continue tomorrow or not. For now, we just want to go back to San Diego and are fed up with the road trip experience. We’ve had enough of that already. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!! But we have to get through this now.
3rd day
In the morning we drove straight from the motel to the workshop. She informed us that it would be a big risk to drive this car back to San Diego. We therefore decided to sell the car as soon as possible to get rid of the ghost car and its problems. Antoni’s cousin organized this entrapment for us and arranged for a great value rental car to take us safely to the Grand Canyon and San Diego. The rental car salesman was a Canadian who was crazy about football and ice hockey. Next to him he had a laptop in which he placed live football bets and showed us illegal football sites. The tour with the new rental car to the Grand Canyon went smoothly. It was a breathtaking sight looking down the gorge of the Grand Canyon. I can only advise you if you have the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon, then use it. We wanted to hike from the Canyon Rim to Plato, but the hike was scheduled for 5 hours. However, Kai and I only had 2 hours available. At 9: 30 p.m. we drove back to San Diego, where we arrived at 4 a.m. We then spent the rest of the night in the car on the beach and used the beach showers in the morning.
4th day
First we had to get a new car, this time we decided to rent a car. So we drove to Long Beach. Long Beach a city like any other on the Pacific. There we looked at the university. The pyramid-shaped basketball hall was particularly impressive. All grandstands are folded under the roof after a game. The height of the hall was gigantic. Next we drove to the port, where the Queen Marry was in dock and for a short time we could forget the previous hardships. Shortly thereafter we drove further north. We reached Santa Monica. Here, too, we looked at the Rainbowpier first. A large jetty with a roller coaster, a Ferris wheel and other rip-off booths. Surprisingly, we have a family who we got to know when we arrived in Washington. How small is the world actually. This turned out again later when we went downtown. Again you hear a German word here and there and a German family sat next to us while eating the MONSTERBUERGER. The sports bar we sat in was packed with TVs and pool tables. Loud music blared, television commentary was played and conditions dressed in referee costumes served. It was evening again, the city center was decorated with lights and the street performers vied for the attention of the audience. It got to be too much for us so after another long day we headed to Malibu. The sports bar we sat in was packed with TVs and pool tables. Loud music blared, television commentary was played and conditions dressed in referee costumes served. It was evening again, the city center was decorated with lights and the street performers vied for the attention of the audience. It got to be too much for us so after another long day we headed to Malibu. The sports bar we sat in was packed with TVs and pool tables. Loud music blared, television commentary was played and conditions dressed in referee costumes served. It was evening again, the city center was decorated with lights and the street performers vied for the attention of the audience. It got to be too much for us so after another long day we headed to Malibu.
Day
5 We spent the 5th day at the beaches in Malibu. We watched the many surfers who make the pilgrimage to Malibu to ride the big waves here. Then we drove to the villas, including Thomas Gottschalk’s. But unfortunately nobody was there and unfortunately we didn’t meet another celebrity either. We visited an Indian monastery, where a lot of Indians made pilgrimages. There we all had to take off our shoes and clean ourselves in order to get in at all. At the end of the day we visited the movie: The Other Guy. But I have to say that Malibu is a dream area, unfortunately I can’t. San Diego clearly has the nicer beaches.
6th day
The nights are getting harder in the car, one more day and then we finally arrive at the hotel in Los Angeles. Culture is on our agenda today. We visited Newport Beach, a must for any OC California fan. Then we drove to Joshua Tree National Park. There it was time to sweat again, look at rock masses, cacti and the Joshua trees. On the way back to Los Angeles we traveled via Palm Springs and the Big Fall, a large rocky waterfall. There, at dusk, Kai and I were very careful on the way to the waterfall, as a sign pointed out brown bears. We then ate dinner in the parking lot and watched the sun go down. When the sun was already gone, a creepy Mexican came by. That was a quick signal to leave for both of us,
7th day
The way home was again very action-packed, as we got into a mega traffic jam and drove past a very devastated accident site with several police and fire engines. The morning was calmer again and we started the day with a big omelette for breakfast. Afterwards we checked in in downtown LA and started the sightseeing tour. We looked at the Walt Disney Theater, the Walk of Fame, Bevelly Hills and Bel Air. In addition, we visited Madame Tusseud’s wax figures, where we photographed ourselves with all the stars. In the evening on the drive to the hotel we were amazed at how run down and soulless downtown LA is at night. You only see homeless people and drunken black people who pitch their tents on the side of the road and dream of a better world. During the day you see many bankers in elegant suits, at night the extreme opposite. It made you think about how it really looks in reality and how good things are in Germany.
Day 8
The eighth day is the last before Las Vegas, which we are really looking forward to. Beach, sea and shopping was our plan today. We visited Venice Beach in LA, which is particularly famous for its open beachfront gym and long boardwalk. After that we went shopping in Santa Monica and bought clothes for Las Vegas. In the evening the observatory on Griffing Mountain was visited. The view of the glowing LA was bombastic. Tomorrow we’re finally going to Las Vegas and there’s going to be a proper celebration.
Day 9
We have now arrived in Las Vegas!!!! The Trump Hotel is a thousand times better than any car. TV in the bathroom mirror, top view from the 53rd floor and everything else your heart desires. Things really get going here in Vegas. So many people make a pilgrimage down the strip here in the evenings. We were too tired to celebrate today, but we want to make up for it tomorrow. Today we watched most of the shows from the hotels such as the water features from the Bellagio Hotel, the volcanic eruption from the Mirage Hotel and the fiery pirate show from Treasure Island. All the individual hotels are also super cool and so huge that you can get lost inside at the gaming tables, which happened to us 1-3 times. We already gambled away the first dollar today, but nothing more.
Day 10
Today it was time to catch up on the sleep of the last few days, go to the live show of “The Price is Right” and watch the rest of the shows on the strip. The Price is Right Show is an interactive hands-on show where anyone can participate and take home real prizes such as cars, trips, etc. Americans went extremely freaky when one of them was chosen and everyone celebrated themselves. After that it was time for us to go out to eat. For this we went to the Bellagio Hotel, which offers one of the best but not cheap buffets. The selection was huge from lobster and crab tongs to truffle noodles to sushi and lamb. Everything your heart desires. In the evening we looked at the pyramids. watched the Sphinx and Mandaley Bay with the Shark Reef.
11th day
This day started very early for us again, because the rules of the individual games at the casino were on the agenda. At 12 o’clock we had to go and pick up the tickets for a magic trick show by Narthan Burton. We spent the waiting time until the show started to implement the casino games we had learned. I had a real lucky streak playing Crabs, the dice game on the big square table where you shouldn’t roll a 7 or you’ll lose. The magic show was also super funny and very tricky. We can only recommend them. As it happened on the way back to the hotel, Kai and I were hungry and wanted to buy a sub from Subway. We noticed that a beer pong tournament starts in an hour. That was the signal to register, sink balls and show the Ammis what 2 Germans can do. With a lot of luck we finished the group phase as 2nd, but in the KO round we had to give way to the opponent and clear the field. Our balance of 24 teams was 7th place and we got a beer pong t-shirt for it. In the evening it was time for us to party, at least we didn’t have to pre-drink. We were in the noble club PURE in Caesars Palace. But we were among the youngest there. This is also due to the fact that here in the USA you can only party from the age of 21. Around us there were a lot of 30-year-olds, young-feeling, lifted women who didn’t really put us in a party mood, although the music was really great. Our balance of 24 teams was 7th place and we got a beer pong t-shirt for it. In the evening it was time for us to party, at least we didn’t have to pre-drink. We were in the noble club PURE in Caesars Palace. But we were among the youngest there. This is also due to the fact that here in the USA you can only party from the age of 21. Around us there were a lot of 30-year-olds, young-feeling, lifted women who didn’t really put us in a party mood, although the music was really great. Our balance of 24 teams was 7th place and we got a beer pong t-shirt for it. In the evening it was time for us to party, at least we didn’t have to pre-drink. We were in the noble club PURE in Caesars Palace. But we were among the youngest there. This is also due to the fact that here in the USA you can only party from the age of 21. Around us there were a lot of 30-year-olds, young-feeling, lifted women who didn’t really put us in a party mood, although the music was really great.
12th day
The last day in Las Vegas begins. We were supposed to go to the WET REVOLUTION pool part (one of the best in Las Vegas) but tiredness put a stop to it. You should go to the party at 11 a.m., otherwise there will be a queue of up to 1 hour waiting for you. So we had to reschedule and drove to the Premium Outlet where we shopped again. The evening was spectacular again. The club we were partying at was called Rain and was in the Palm Hotel. A super club with a great fire show and several dancers. After that, a little craps was played and my dice tactics, which I had previously copied from a Chinese player, proved to be lucky. The whole table celebrated me because I didn’t roll a 7 for a very long time.
13th day
Goodbye Las Vegas!! My verdict: Stunning city built only on casinos and luxury on the Strip. But once you’re a few streets away from the main point of movement, things don’t look so rosy there. I’m also one of the few people who has walked home from all over the casinos with a profit. The one man we met at the crab table, who is from Las Vegas, said to us: In Las Vegas, money rules. It is purely a pleasure and tourist city. Those who sit at the gaming tables should have fun losing money. Because otherwise you have not lost anything in a casino and it only makes you unhappy. We had to get up early today to get to the Summerslam in Los Angeles in time because we had wrestling tickets for that. The show was an experience in itself. A packed house at the massive Stables Center Arena. The crazy Americans were celebrating themselves and the wrestlers hours beforehand, pouring into the stadium with their colorful signs and suits. Back to the topic. People jumped up and roared with every knockout, held up their signs, jumped up. A spectacle that you have to experience live once in a lifetime. In the evening we unfortunately arrived too late in our apartment. So we had to sleep in the car for another day and then the beautiful but also very strenuous and nerve-racking road trip is over. Tips from us for a road trip: People jumped up and roared with every knockout, held up their signs, jumped up. A spectacle that you have to experience live once in a lifetime. In the evening we unfortunately arrived too late in our apartment. So we had to sleep in the car for another day and then the beautiful but also very strenuous and nerve-racking road trip is over. Tips from us for a road trip: People jumped up and roared with every knockout, held up their signs, jumped up. A spectacle that you have to experience live once in a lifetime. In the evening we unfortunately arrived too late in our apartment. So we had to sleep in the car for another day and then the beautiful but also very strenuous and nerve-racking road trip is over. Tips from us for a road trip:
- a working car
2. always have a charged mobile phone with
you 3. travel to the hometown buffet every 3 days to eat your fill again and build up reserves
4. a working credit card or tell your bank that you are moving on the map
5. save all important emergency numbers in your mobile phone
6. go to hotels where you can charge your laptop etc. in the lobby
7. park in residential areas, since there is usually free WiFi available there.
8. Showers are always on the beach for free