University: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA BARBARA
City: Santa Barbara
Country: United States
Continent: North America
Field of study: Business
Study type: semester abroad
UCSB is a famous and fine university in California. The campus is right by the sea and is quite large with around 20,000 students. You can find everything you need on campus; Restaurants, shops, sports facilities, library, beach and lots of fun. The university is perfect for those students who want to combine sun, sand and sea with their studies. See mcat-test-centers for Universidad Catolica Argentina.
Enrollment process
The enrollment process went smoothly thanks to MicroEdu. College Contact was my direct point of contact and I clarified everything with them. They in turn contacted UCSB and submitted my enrollment there. I received all the forms I needed to fill out from College Contact and then sent them back. So I was able to contact College Contact if I had any questions about the forms. At UCSB, it is important to enroll as early as possible. Because the number of places for international students is limited and booked up fairly quickly.
Study content and study conditions
At UCSB, everything is offered for studying, so to speak. My field of study is Economics. UCSB offers many interesting courses. However, there is a downside, as an international student, you cannot register for the courses in advance. You can only crash the normal courses, which means you have to speak to the lecturers on site and ask if they still have space in the desired course. This can take up to 3 weeks until you know for sure whether you can take the course or not.
For this reason, internationals are enrolled in the Extension program. This program also offers courses. However, the selection is smaller and the fields of study are limited. These courses are mostly aimed at working students, so the courses usually take place in the evening. The advantage is that you can register for the courses online in advance and pay for them online. The courses are also cheaper than normal university courses, mostly half the price. However, it is important to first clarify whether the home university will allow the extension courses to be credited. In my case at the Freiburg University of Economics, this was not a problem.
Leisure
UCSB offers many recreational activities, most notably sports. With $ 60 you can buy a membership in the gym and have access to all fitness and sports facilities. There is also a student association, Excursion Club, which offers excursions and activities during the week and weekends.
In addition, the mountains and the sea are less than a stone’s throw away and can therefore do a lot.
Santa Barbara is perfectly located in central California, allowing for a lot to see. During the weekends you can take a trip to Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego or Las Vegas.
Fun
Santa Barbara is a very young city with many students. Isla Vista is a place to party during the weekdays and weekends. There is always something going on or something to do.
Americans are mostly very open and you get to know a lot of new people. On Del Playa Street in Isla Vista there are weekend home parties where most people are invited.
Costs
UCSB is generally average when it comes to costs. You have to calculate about $ 3’000 – 4’000 for the enrollment and then course fees. A total of $13,000 to $18,000 for a semester at UCSB, including travel, lodging, tuition, food and more, should be expected. Of course, everyone’s budget is different, it just depends on what else you want to see and do in your free time.
On site, housing and transport
Santa Barbara is a small Californian city, which is located directly on the sea. The house style is characterized by a Spanish flair. The city is very popular with tourists and there is plenty to see and do. That’s why it never gets boring.
Isla Vista borders the campus and is a small town made up of student housing, bars and restaurants. I would recommend every student to look for a flat share there. It’s the easiest since you live right next to the campus and have everything you need at your fingertips. Rents are very high throughout Santa Barbara.
On campus you need a bicycle or a skateboard, which you can use to get from A to B very quickly. The entire campus is equipped with bike lanes. As with the UCSB student card, you can use the public bus for free. So you can also take the bus downtown. You can find a bike for cheap on Craigslist and sell it there after the semester. Otherwise there are bike shops everywhere.
I found a studio through Airbnb and paid $750 each for two. But the studio was outside of Isla Vista in Goleta. The route is not very far, but since you also go to the exit in Isla Vista and spend a lot of time there, I advise you to look for an apartment there.