Student Report
Name of University: San Diego State University
Exchange semester: Spring 2014
I. Practical information
● Before leaving Norway
You are required to take the TOEFL/IELTS test, but
since I am a BBA student, I was granted exemption
from this rule as my classes were already in
English. Communication with the university takes
time due to many applicants, so be patient.
● When and how did you receive information from the exchange university?
I received the welcome package from SDSU in the beginning of November in addition to
the paperwork for my Visa application. I was in a hurry to get an appointment at the
embassy to be able to receive my Visa in time due to the paperwork arriving late from
San Diego. In the welcome package I also received some useful information about the
orientation week and about housing. I also had a look at www.sdsu.edu for additional
information about the school and the surroundings.
● Difficulties?
Since I received the paperwork late, I barely got an appointment at the embassy before
Christmas and received my Visa in early January. Moreover, answers from the
University can be delayed due to many applicants. I was accepted to SDSU later than
other BI students were accepted to other Universities, not that it affected me a lot.
● Applying for a Visa
The application process for the Visa is done online as soon as you receive the
paperwork from the University. That process can take about 90 minutes to complete.
During this process you book an appointment at the embassy where you have a short
interview and pay for the Visa. It can take between 2-5 weeks in order to get an
appointment at the embassy. Since I got the necessary paperwork from San Diego late,
it was a bit stressful to get this appointment in time before Christmas. You hand in your
passport when at the embassy and it is being mailed back to you in approximately a
week after our appointment. The Visa costs about NOK 1000 which has to be paid in
cash at the embassy.
● Travel / Flight
I bought my ticket to San Diego through finn.no where you can compare prices. I flew in
a few days before orientation started in order to settle down before school started. I
bought a one-way ticket for NOK 3400. It might be cheaper purchasing a ticket round
trip, but I was not sure whether I was going to travel somewhere in the States after my
exams, so I found it hard to plan when to go home at such an early stage.
● Housing - Was housing provided for by the University or did you find your
own?
You can choose to live in the dorms on campus or live in apartment buildings “offcampus” that are located very close to the school. I looked through the links provided by
the university (http://ali.sdsu.edu/Client/ali/pdfs/housing_offcampusapt.pdf) and used
craigslist to look for places to live around campus. I also received information about
housing in the welcome package. My plan was to find housing on my own through
craigslist, but ended up living in one of the dorms for free. I got an email from SDSU
early in January telling me that I was eligible to apply for a housing scholarship for
international students. Although this scholarship was granted after I arrived in San
Diego, I chose to take the offer and received free housing and gym membership. Ask
the University about this before you leave Norway. I did not have a meal plan and do
not recommend it as you can only choose restaurants on campus and will lose money if
you want to cook by yourself.
● Any special issues or good ideas for prospective students?
A lot of the apartment complexes around the school are relatively expensive and you
have to sign a 6 months lease most places. If you don’t have a car I highly recommend
living close to school as public transport is relatively poor and takes time. Talk to the
international office at SDSU about scholarships or look at craigslist for students looking
for a roommate for a semester which may be cheaper. Be careful signing an early
contract and look at several places before you decide. A lot of students also live down
by Pacific Beach, but then you will need a car to get to and from school.
● Costs
Be prepared to pay a minimum of $500 (around 3000 NOK) and maximum of $1000
(6000 NOK) for housing in San Diego. New books are expensive and can come up to
1000 NOK per book. Ask your teacher and try to buy used books or rent books from
Amazon or the bookstore. Food is a lot cheaper than in Norway. While you can expect
to pay between 30-70 NOK for a meal around campus, it is very cheap to buy your own
food from places like Walmart to cook your own meals. Gasoline is also a lot cheaper
than in Norway as well as purchasing or renting a car. Set aside some money for
traveling as you should use the opportunity to visit cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles
and San Francisco while living in San Diego. Renting a car is a relatively cheap at place
like Dirt Cheap Car Rental in San Diego.
● Culture & language - Did you have any language problems with
faculty/students?
I did not have any language problems while on exchange. The classes are easy to
follow and it is easy to get to know and get along with new people. People are generally
interested when you come from a different country and have an accent.
● How were the possibilities to experience the country and the culture?
I rented a car through Dirt Cheap Car Rental in San Diego several times to be able to
explore the rest of California (Los Angeles and San Francisco) as well as Las Vegas
and Grand Canyon. Also, San Diego has a lot to offer when it comes to beaches,
culture and fun activities. I had fridays off so I was able to take weekend trips and
explore San Diego. Mexico is also very close. Although LA and San Francisco is a must
once you’re in California, I personally loved San Diego and all it had to offer. Make sure
to go to the beach, surf, hike, go to the park and enjoy downtown. You can take the
trolley to downtown from campus. International office also cooperates with a company
called San Diego Host Tours that arrange trips for students to Las Vegas, LA etc. if you
don’t want to rent a car and go on your own.
● Cultural and social effects from the exchange experience
How do you think the exchange experience will affect you from a cultural and social
point of view?
Being the only BI student going alone to a new country and school with a new culture is
an experience that you learn a lot from and make you grow as a person. It gives you
insight into the American culture as well as other cultures as you get to know exchange
students from different parts of the world and make American friends with diverse
backgrounds. It’s an experience that boosts your confidence and understanding.
● How do you think the exchange experience influences your future career
possibilities?
I gained knowledge and insight through this semester that I could not learn at BI and
that I know contributes greatly to my education and future career. The fact that it boosts
your confidence and knowledge as well as reflectional skills, will be very useful in a
future career. I also think employers appreciate the courage it takes to leave the safe
life in Norway and BI to study in a different country and how it makes you more
independent as a person.
II. About the school
● The school and its surroundings
San Diego State University is the largest university in San Diego and the third largest in
California. The school has more than 30 000 students, and therefore has a great variety
of colleges and student organizations and clubs. Driving distance to downtown is about
10 minutes, and about 15 minutes to the beaches. The campus is huge and has a lot to
offer to students like fitness centres, tennis courts, swimming pool, restaurants, coffee
shops, bowling alley and more. The school is conveniently located next to one of San
Diego’s main highways.
● Current faculty divisions and special areas
SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 85 areas and master’s degrees in 76. I was enrolled
in the College of Business Administration and was told that their business programme
was well known and with a good reputation.
● Study structure
Almost all classes have multiple midterms, assignments, projects and quizzes that
make up the final grade. Attendance and participation also count in some classes and
you are expected to participate actively in class. Therefore, you are less reliant on one
exam, but you have to work throughout most of the semester.
Course registration:
● When and how did you register for courses?
You will receive an email with a date and time that you can register for courses. It is
important to do this immediately when it’s your time, as classes fill up quickly. Some
classes might also be full when you try to sign up. Registration for courses happen
online on the webportal approximately one week before school starts. Some of the
classes I was planning to take were already filled when my registration was activated.
● When did the add/drop period end?
You have two weeks ( I had until February 4th) to add and drop classes. If you are not
able to register for the classes you want online during registration you can “crash” a
class, meaning attending the first or second lecture to ask the professor if there is more
space and to give you an add-code for the class. They are often nice to exchange
students that need certain subjects to get approval from the school in the home country.
Some people also drop classes during this period, so check webportal often to see if
there suddenly are places available.
Academic calendar:
Arrival date - I arrived in San Diego on January 11th and orientation started on the 14th
First day of classes - Classes started on the 17th of January
Last day of the semester - Last day of classes was May 8th while the last week of finals
was from May 9-15th.
Special events/holidays - Spring break is usually in the end of March or beginning of
April
Arrival
● Was the administration and faculty well-prepared for your arrival/ intro
week?
During the first days you get a lot of information about everything you are wondering
about. All about classes, sports, traveling etc. We had a tour around campus with
American students and had a pizza party at night to be able to get to know other
students. During the first day you were able to sign up for a San Diego City tour and a
trip to the San Diego together with other exchange students. There was also a party bus
going downtown during the first days. Other activities was also arranged to mingle and
get to know people and the school. American students participate in some of these
events to tell you more about the life at SDSU.
● The International Office
The international office is responsible for introduction week and most of the questions
you might have while on exchange. They are very helpful and arrange events
throughout the semester.
● As an exchange student, did you receive sufficient and relevant
information? In English?
The international office send out an email every week with relevant information about
things that are going on, like coffee hour and other events they put together.
● Promoting BI and Norway
I participated in a kind of exchange fair as well as pre-departure orientation for
American students. I was also asked to participate in a diversity event arranged by the
school to represent Norway and the diversity at campus.
Social activities
● How was your relationship with native students?
I got to know Americans and exchange students. They are easy to get to know, but
since other exchange students are in the same situation, it’s natural to find friends
among them. In my apartment i lived together with one Scottish, one Spanish and one
American student.
● Are there any special activities and gatherings for exchange students?
Every friday, students from different countries arrange a coffee hour with snacks and
mingling. It is possible to get involved in the international student association, work as a
buddy and more. It’s a great way to get to know new and interesting people.
III. Academics
In the classroom:
● Describe the teaching style
Generally, the classes are smaller and you have a closer relationship to the teacher
than at BI. For the most part, you have a teaching style similar to BI, but might include
more in-class work, quizzes, homework etc. In some classes you are expected to
participate and that counts as a part of your grade
● Language of instruction? Any problems?
All classes were in English. No problems.
● How would you evaluate the level of study in comparison to the level at BI?
In general, the classes are easier than at BI and exams will mostly be multiple choice or
short answer. Personally, I felt that the level of depth and understanding needed for
exams and projects were lower than what I was to from BI. The same books and
concepts were covered like at BI.
● Is teaching primarily practical or theoretical?
For the most part it was theoretical for the classes I had. You might get in-class work to
do in some classes. I also did some group work in two of my classes.
● How is the workload compared to BI?
For the semester overall, I would say that the workload is less than BI, but it is more
spread out through the semester. I had at least three exams in each subject throughout
the semester plus quizzes and projects. At one time I had three midterms in one
day.But the level of the exams are not as difficult like BI. Overall, the workload is less.
● Describe the relationship between professors and students?
Because of the size of the classes , you have a closer relationship to the professors.
With some professors it is advantageous that the teacher know who you are and have
seen/heard you in class. The teachers are very helpful if you stop by their office or
during office hours.
● Describe the relationship between the students in the classroom
With small classrooms, it is easy to get to know the person sitting next to you. Being
American, many are interested in where you are from and who you are. For the most
part you will have different classmates in each class.
Course materials:
● Describe the course materials used
In most classes you have a book that you follow in addition to PowerPoint slides. You
are for the most part expected to purchase the newest edition, but in many classes I
bought an older version without problems. Books are very expensive, so if possible buy
books from amazon or used in the bookstore. In the class “Derivatives and Risk
management” I you did not need a book.
● How do you estimate the level of the course materials in comparison to BI?
The material was similar to what you are used to at BI
● Were materials used for detailed knowledge or a broad overview of a
subject?
For the most part they were used as a broad overview, but it depends on the class. In
the marketing course I took, you were expected to read all chapters and the exams
were based on the material in the book.
Exams:
● Was the exam based on the course materials or on the lecture?
The lectures supported the course material and for the most part you were required to
cover the written material before the exam. The professors specified clearly what was
covered on the exam.
● How was the course evaluated?
All of the final exams we had were written. We also got evaluated through mid-term
exams, in-class quizzes throughout the semester, small assignments, group work, class
attendance and class participation.
Library and technology
● Do students have easy access to the library and its resources?
The library is similar like BI with the same resources. In addition they have a financial
lab where you have access to platforms like Bloomberg that you use in finance classes.
There are lots of computers available to use in various parts of the library.
● How is technology used in teaching or to distribute information?
A platform similar to it’slearning is used to post information, documents and teaching
material. Did not use a lot of technology in class, but I had to use excel and Bloomberg
to do projects. In one of the finance courses, I also used a trading platform that was
used to perform investments for assignments. This was downloaded to my own
computer or could be used in the financial lab in the library.
Description of courses:
Course code
& name
Master/
Bachelor
Exam
form
Prerequisites Approved Comments
as
MIS 302
Bachelor
Introduction to
Operations and
Supply Chain
Management
3 written
exams of
1 hour 15
mins. Two
group
projects
Economics
201 or
Statistics 119
Elective
Medium
difficulty.
Interesting
and good
teacher. All
theoretical
with some
excel work
FIN 427
Derivatives &
Risk
Management
Bachelor
2 written
exams of
1 hour 15
mins.
Quizzes
and a
project
Finance 323
Elective
More
challenging
course. Highly
relevant.
Theoretical
course. Good
teacher
MGT 352
Human
Resource
Management
Bachelor
4 written
exams of
1 hour 15
mins.
Periodic
quizzes
Elective
Not difficult,
theoretical
course.Exam
with lowest
grade is
dropped.
FIN 327
Investments
Bachelor
3 written
exams of
1 hour 15
mins.
Assignme
Elective
Not difficult.
Highly
relevant. All
theoretical.
Finance 323.
nts
through
the
semester
MKTG 373
Integrated
Marketing
Communicatio
ns
Bachelor
3 exams
of 1 hour
15 mins
and 1 final
exam
covering
entire
book.
Completed
basic
marketing
course
Elective
The material is
not very
difficult, but
exams are
based on the
book. The
exams overall
covered a
book of about
900 pages.
San Diego is an amazing city and you should use as much time possible exploring the
city and the surroundings. To me, it is the perfect place to be an exchange student and I
had an amazing semester. Rent/buy a car and travel around. Go surfing and enjoy the
California lifestyle at Pacific Beach.
I feel very lucky to have spent a semester at SDSU and I will definitely go back one day.