A three time student’s perspective
So you either got into or are considering SDSU as a college. Either way, congrats! Whether it’s for your undergrad, teaching credential, or a master’s program, there are tons of reasons to choose SDSU. In this article, I’ll walk you through what I appreciate about it and why I chose it. Hopefully, you’ll be able to see if it’s a good match for you as well.
1. Student Life
SDSU has a reputation as a party school, and while that definitely is true to a degree, there’s so much more to it. Student Life and Leadership organizes so many activities for students, and there’s always something going on. From hundreds of clubs and student organizations to university-sponsored events, you won’t get bored. There are also tons of events put on by other campus institutions, like churches, Greek life, and outreach programs. The value SDSU places on student life–on being more than just an academic student–is one of its best qualities, and it truly helps you to get that well-rounded college experience.
2. Weather
Who can talk about San Diego without mentioning the weather? This is definitely one of the best parts of SDSU, and I’d be lying if I said part of the reason I chose SDSU wasn’t because of the weather. With few rainy days a year and mild winter temperatures, you don’t have to worry as much about things like getting rained out or having to bundle up too often. You can also actually enjoy the beautiful campus year-round. Hang out by the turtle pond, chill by on the arts terrace, or lounge on the big patio by Storm Hall West. When you’re not in class, you have so many landmarks and beautiful sights to see near the campus. Being able to enjoy your university and college city are definitely reasons to choose SDSU.
3. Faculty
As far as I’ve experienced, SDSU has fantastic faculty members. They are truly knowledgeable about their subject matter, passionate about what they do, and willing to help. While there might be exceptions to this (I’ve only found one exception), I have been very impressed with my experiences overall. For reference, I have a Bachelor’s in an interdisciplinary field, a minor in another interdisciplinary field, an English minor, a teaching credential, and now I’m working on a Master’s. To say that I’ve dipped my toe into many different pools is an understatement. Based on the feedback from friends and colleagues, their experiences have been much the same, save for a few bad apples.
One of the things that has always impressed me the most has been how helpful professors are during office hours. No matter which professor I went to, each of them went out of their way to help me succeed. Not once was I sent to a TA or ignored. I truly felt like I got my money’s worth out of their teaching, which brings me to another reason why you should choose SDSU–the money.
4. Cost + Scholarships
As unfortunate as it is, cost is a definite consideration when applying to college. For some of us, even with financial aid, the thought of going to a private or out of state university is just unbearable. When I compare what I paid for SDSU with what I could have paid to go to somewhere like USD (nothing against the school; it’s beautiful and I hear nothing but good things, but it’s private), I immediately know I made the right choice for me. As a state school, SDSU is automatically more affordable than UCs and private schools. In-state tuition at a CSU is around $7,000 a year. At a UC, it’s about $14,000. At a private school like USD, it’s around $50,000 (about $53,000 to be exact). That’s pretty par for the course when it comes to private universities.
With that being said, why would you drop $50k a year when you could pay less than that for all four years of your college education. Of course there will be pros and cons to each side, but looking at it this way helped me to choose SDSU. On top of that, SDSU has a scholarship portal (Aztec Scholarships) that makes it very straightforward and easy to apply for scholarships. Like I mention below, my combination of financial aid and scholarships made it so that college was almost free for me, both in my undergraduate and credential programs. Who can pass that up?
5. Internships + Hiring Advantages
A career counselor once told me that when recruiters went to hire college students for many professions in San Diego, SDSU students were the top pick. Why was this?
The answer was simple. Internships. Like I state in this article about the importance of internships, getting hands on experience in the field is crucial to career success. When you go in for interviews, you can already talk about your experiences. You can make connections. You can set yourself apart. And SDSU is huge on helping you to do that. Their career center is super helpful, professors are knowledgeable and connected, and other students are willing to help. For many majors and minors (including ISCOR), an internship is a required class. In that class, you get tons of career prep workshops and resources to help you in your journey.
Beyond that, SDSU cultivates great relationships with the community. There are job fairs at least once a semester, career workshops, and networking events. There are also programs like the Aztec Mentor Program to set you up with alumni who will help you grow professionally. Through a combination of these activities, you’ll feel more prepared in a realistic way than you might at other schools, especially those that focus more on theory.
6. School-Life Balance
A huge factor that went into choosing SDSU for me was balance. I was the type of high schooler who worked my butt off and missed out on other experiences. When it came to college, I knew that I didn’t want to make the same mistakes.
So I looked into this. And one thing that stood out to me was SDSU’s hands-on approach. Like I talk about in #5, SDSU and CSUs value hands-on work in the field. UCs are very much about theory and CSUs are much more about preparing for a career (see this article on a more in-depth UC vs CSU comparison). Or, as one presenter from a prospective UCSD student session said, “If you’re in a relationship in fall, it’ll be over by Christmas because you’ll be too stressed to deal with it.”
When I weighed my options, what do you think I chose? A school where I could have some balance in my life, get experience, and socialize? Or a school where I’d be constantly working on theoreticals, going crazy under stress, and not being able to work/socialize/have a life out of my schoolwork?
I obviously chose the latter one. While getting used to the workload at universities is definitely a universal process and some might be more suited for UCs than others, that wasn’t for me. I really enjoyed SDSU’s well-rounded philosophy, and it allowed me to get much, much more involved in the campus than I would have otherwise. I was able to work a job each semester, take full time classes, be involved in clubs, have time for friends, and take on extra responsibilities. Was I stressed at times? Yes. But was I able to manage it and find that balance? Absolutely. That flexibility and ability to fulfill every aspect of my life was great, and it’s something that I would definitely consider when choosing your university.
7. Campus + Location
While I will admit that I didn’t choose SDSU for its location specifically, I quickly became very happy that I ended up there. SDSU is located so close to so many different things. The beach is a 15-20 minute drive, downtown is a 15-20 minute drive, and you’re right in the middle of San Diego. Whether you feel like going down to Chula Vista and getting Tacos el Gordo or going up to North County to get RB Sushi, everything is about a maximum of a 30 minute drive. It was so convenient to have two malls within a few trolley stops (another perk about the location!), easy access to downtown and Hotel Circle for events, and several concert venues within a few miles (or on campus). You’ll never run out of things to do, and you won’t even have to go far to do them.
And then that campus…
Then there’s the campus itself. I remember feeling like it was such a big, foreign place when I first got there. However, it quickly became small and homey. With the gorgeous white buildings, red brick, and iconic teal doors, you feel as though you’re in another world. Walking through the campus, there’s a sense of peace. If you want to relax for a while, you can lie on grassy hills and soak up the sun. If you want to work on a deck outside next to a turtle pond, you can do that. Maybe you feel like bowling and grabbing pizza. That’s an option, too.
If you want to see a bit more of what I’m talking about, take a virtual tour of the campus. Within seconds, you’ll see the appeal. Plus–and this is a big one–I never had to ride a bike or a skateboard to get to class. All of my classes were a maximum of fifteen minutes apart, and I never had to race to get from one to the other. All of the different restaurants are within walking distance, too. Unless I seriously wanted to get off campus, I had everything I could need right there!
8. Honors Program
In another article, I talk about why you should consider joining an Honors program. Where did I initially get the inspiration to even write about this? My own experience in SDSU’s Weber Honors College, of course! For me, this was what truly set SDSU apart from other universities, and it was a big deciding factor in why I chose SDSU for myself. In the Weber Honors College, I made friends and connections with people who had similar values. Their administration supported me with every college and career opportunity that came my way. The scholarships I received essentially paid my way through college. I was able to take classes that I never would have been able to otherwise. And, in my last semester at SDSU, I had the honor of delivering the commencement speech for my class at the Honors graduation ceremony.
As you can probably tell, I genuinely have nothing but good things to say about the Honors College. If you join, you’ll receive support, socialization, an extra minor, and so, so many memories. This was my deciding factor when choosing between SDSU, UCSD, and Cal Poly, and I highly suggest that you consider Honors if that is an option for you.
A Final Word
As a three time Aztec, I am a little biased as to why you should choose SDSU. However, I believe that this university offers experiences and balance that not every university does! When you factor in the weather, the spirit, the financial opportunities, and just about everything else the university has to offer, how could you ever choose a different university?
Have any questions, comments, or thoughts about choosing SDSU? Let me know in the comments below!
