University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: media
Study type: semester abroad
To get straight to the point: a semester abroad in America and at SDSU was the best decision I have ever made and the best time of my life!! Although it involves some costs and stress, it was definitely worth it and I would do it again anytime! Not only did I become more independent as a result, I also met a lot of great people and the university experience was also unique!
Before I now write what my predecessors have already said several times, I only want to go into the things that I personally noticed or are important. See anycountyprivateschools for Sonoma State University Study Abroad.
University and courses
Since the majority of students here are business administration students, I was a little disappointed at first that there were almost no field reports on the media or film majors. I’m studying multimedia and communication and I wanted to take certain courses because I had to get credit for them at my home university. After I even contacted professors at SDSU out of desperation (which you really shouldn’t do), I was more or less assured that I would take such courses as ALI (American Language Institute – very important: you are not “International Students” who are allowed namely not take such courses) can prove. Since these courses have a rather small number of participants, it is of course more difficult to get a place, but not impossible. You can crash them normally some teachers pay strict attention to the prerequisites (certain courses that you must have taken before) and others it is not so important (always depends on the number of participants). I was lucky because I got into every course I wanted to take. In addition, these courses only crashed a maximum of two other foreign students.
My courses: Three-D Digital Media, Intermediate Photo Imagery, Studio Production and History of Film Classics. With the exception of History of Film Classics, all courses were very small (attendance required!) and involved a lot of practical work. It was a real difference to studying at a German university, because at SDSU I had a lot more to do during the semester (homework, assignments,…) and usually had to hand in a research paper at the end. On the one hand it was a lot more work than you are used to, on the other hand you learn a lot more!
Another topic I want to write about is finding a place to live. I was really glad I traveled with my boyfriend as otherwise I would have felt a bit alone at the beginning. Finding an apartment was very difficult. We looked at a few apartments, but most of them were too far from the university, too expensive or in poor condition. I also have to say that it’s not exactly easy for a couple either, as many landlords – especially in the university halls of residence – have problems with this. We lived in the hotel for the first time and actually thought that it was only a temporary situation. After almost a month and after a promised apartment was canceled at the last moment, we finally moved in with a foreign student near the university. In hindsight it was the best decision as we paid very little rent for a good apartment and we could walk to uni every day. The decision whether to live near the university or on the beach is up to you. For us, the decision to go to university was actually quite clear, since we had classes four days a week. Nevertheless, we often came to the beach or downtown.
Locomotion
Which brings me straight to my next topic. Getting around San Diego isn’t that easy – it’s all very spread out. Of course it is much more comfortable with a car – but not the only possibility. My friend and I only had a car for a little over a month towards the end of the semester and got along very well with it. The public transport system in San Diego is really very good by American standards. You can actually get everywhere by trolley and bus, even if it sometimes takes a little longer.
Leisure
Even if the university takes up a lot of you, you still have enough free time. I looked forward to the SDSU Aztecs football and basketball games the most. The atmosphere in the stadiums is completely different and you are immediately infected and have a lot of fun! Otherwise there is of course a lot to see in San Diego, such as the zoo, Sea World or the beaches (Pacific Beach, Mission Beach and Coronado Beach (!) ). In the evening there is the possibility to go downtown (discos/clubs) or Pacific Beach (bars/discos). Most of the time we took the “party bus” (which wasn’t always reliable or was already full)! There are also private parties every weekend around the university or on the beach.
Otherwise we traveled a lot (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Hawaii, New York) and also went to 2 concerts. It’s just a once in a lifetime opportunity and I would recommend anyone to have the experience! It was an incredibly beautiful time in which I saw and experienced so many things!!
I would also like to say a big thank you to the MicroEdu team and especially to Aline, who always stood by and supported us with advice and action! I am glad that you are helping young people to realize their dream of a semester abroad! It wouldn’t have been possible without you! Many Thanks!!
Now I can only wish everyone a lot of fun with his/her experience abroad and make the best of it!! : -)