I was at San Jose State University from August to December 2010 and can only say positive things in general. In order to give a little impression to those who are undecided, I will say a few words about the application, the university itself and the courses.
I took care of the application about half a year before the semester abroad. To do this, I went to MicroEDU, asked which universities would be suitable and then decided on the SJSU. After this step was done, I was able to download the application forms relatively easily (from the MicroEDU page. The application form was easy to fill out. So this step was not a problem. Probably the biggest problem here is that a bank confirmation is also sent must, on which it is written that there are also enough “liquid” funds available for the stay abroad. After a few weeks I received the confirmation of admission from the university and I could continue with the preparation. I had to apply for a visa, which in retrospect turned out to be pretty easy. Here, too, I would have expected more problems.
Before my stay, I also completed the TOEFL, but this is not absolutely necessary at this university, because one way or another a TOEFL test is offered at the SJSU or the international program. I applied online for Campus Village B (CVB), got my room here and had already secured my accommodation for the next 5 months before arriving in the USA..JIf you want to get to know people, I can only recommend the CVB, but you don’t have a lot of privacy here as I find and you can’t choose your roommates The practical thing about this is that you can reach every building on campus within 10 minutes and that the pool is right on the doorstep. (The first 3 months we had about 30 degrees in SJ;) Read more student reviews on Toppharmacyschools.
Taking the courses was also very straightforward. Although, according to the Internet, the courses were sometimes already overcrowded and there were no more places available on the waiting lists, I got all the courses I wanted. The motto here is: Just talk to the professor, they are usually taken with international students and are happy to welcome you to their courses.
You have a lot to do for the university, more than in Germany, in my opinion, but there is still enough free time, for example. can be used for excursions (San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas). San José doesn’t have too much to offer in terms of celebrations, but there are also a few bars here where you can shake off the dance floor. Otherwise you spend the weekend in San Fran and celebrate there, is not an issue either. One thing you should definitely not forget is a trip to Las Vegas. You can do this by car (very warm and a lot of desert), we got lost a little, but in the end it was rather fun, or you book a flight early and have a week there. A visit to the Stratosphere Tower with its 3 rides is highly recommended. If you are not afraid of heights, take them all with you, great experience! The Bay Area also offers some sporting highlights. For example, San José has. An NHL team, Oakland, about 45 minutes away has a football and a basketball team. So if you are into sports, you should definitely visit these events. Not to forget the SF 49ers. The university itself also has sporting activities to offer. So you could watch a San Jose State Spartans football game (unfortunately I haven’t seen a single one, but their record was also 2-11 in the meantime), but I think it’s okay to enjoy the atmosphere. The SJSU basketball team plays in the Event Center, which is located in the middle of the campus. It’s not a basketball college like Duke or North Carolina.
If, for whatever reason, you should have a little longer free time (there are already a few public holidays), I personally can only advise you to fly to Hawaii! Here, too, if you book early enough, you can get a bargain!
Overall, the university and the organization can only be recommended!
