University: San Diego State University
City: San Diego
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: International Business Administration
Study type: semester abroad
A semester abroad, which is also excellent for weaker English speakers!
A semester abroad at SDSU in San Diego is in many ways like an exciting, unforgettable language trip.
The university is really well organized and well thought out all around. Everything went smoothly, which is really reassuring given the excitement of the first few days in San Diego. I would never have thought that it would be so relaxed and fun to drive to university and still manage to have a reasonably regular daily routine. The SDSU is almost like a small town, the Aztecs town. Everything your heart desires can be found here, in addition to the really small number of lectures compared to a semester: outdoor pool, free gym (and Americans really know about that), food and lots of activities and fun. Campus life is probably the first thing you will miss again in Germany – and also the organization. See anycountyprivateschools for University of California Berkeley Study Abroad.
After you were usually in the lectures for about 2-5 hours on about 3 days (which goes really quickly, since every professor also has his own way of teaching), an enormous amount of learning is pre-programmed before and during the exam phases. Especially for students with little knowledge of English, this can be a bit of a shock at first, but apart from that, the topic is quite understandable, apart from the language, and you can get good grades.
Incidentally, you get a good grade with a little willingness to learn, a halfway mediocre knowledge of English and good presentation skills (of which at least one is graded in almost every subject). Compared to Germany, my school grades have improved a lot and after converting them into German grades, I was completely surprised because my English is really not good.
From my own experience and from discussions with my fellow students, it can be said that the international subjects (especially business plan, multinational management and organizational behavior) are a good choice for making connections. It is generally said that the Americans only sit down in the lectures but do not necessarily seek contact. However, this is very important in a semester abroad in order to really take everything with you, and subjects with the internationals are suitable for this.
Another factor that made the semester abroad what it was is San Diego. The city of San Diego is simply stunning. Beach, good climate (sometimes 30 degrees in January), nightlife, shopping, SeaWorld and much more. There is almost never a dull moment between university, free time and meeting friends. Variety is guaranteed. In addition to the typical purchase of a car, you can also get around in San Diego by bus and trolley – and that’s even very good if you live centrally!
There are very different opinions on the subject of housing. Some friends lived right on campus (which is inland) with a long walk to the city, others in PB (Pacific Beach) close to the beach and party and probably my best decision was to move to a host family. Centrally located between the beach, mall and downtown, close to typical American life, contact with them and other roommates and lots of fun. Your own room with a bathroom, dinner together (typically American and healthy) and lots of tips. And of course no worries about getting fat because you only eat fast food.
Whereby we will come to the costs for such a semester. These are in the upper field, especially due to rent and groceries. Unfortunately, the euro exchange rate was very bad in my day, so that shopping was only worthwhile to a limited extent. Groceries, on the other hand, then account for considerable costs per month. But free time also costs money. Even if the semester all in one costs at least 10,000 € (without travel) – but it’s worth it! The experiences are worth it!
All in all, you can prepare yourself really well for the semester abroad by reading foreign reports from other students, by preparing early and being interested, and you can start relaxed into one of the most exciting and beautiful times that this semester offers. America, the land of opportunity to have fun, shop and especially travel. Which brings us to the final topic.
During the semester or afterwards, it is definitely worth taking a trip around California, flying to Hawaii or Florida, or ending the trip in the classic way in New York if you haven’t been there yet.
There are probably not many countries that offer such a breathtaking variety of travel options. From city and big city, to crazy green, great beaches, desert and FAR AWAY! And this keyword also has a decisive point why you should decide for this semester: Just get out of home!!