Imagine going to college and living on the beach in California, with all your friends, near the beautiful blue ocean. It’s sunny every day and the education is top grade. San Diego State University, the fifth largest university in California, has a lot to offer its 34,000 students. Located only nine miles from the Pacific Ocean beaches in beautiful San Diego, culturally-rich SDSU promotes academic excellence and leadership.

Imagine going to college and living on the beach in California, with all your friends, near the beautiful blue ocean. It’s sunny every day and the education is top grade. San Diego State University, the fifth largest university in California, has a lot to offer its 34,000 students. Located only nine miles from the Pacific Ocean beaches in beautiful San Diego, culturally-rich SDSU promotes academic excellence and leadership.

Campus Life

There’s plenty of entertainment right on campus, such as concerts and sporting events. Surviving without a car is no problem. Buses make it easy to get around town to shopping, jobs, the beach, and the nearby Mexican border. You even get a discounted bus pass with your tuition. Because the border with Mexico is so close, the city has the perfect mix of American and Mexican cultures. Within a few miles of the college, you have tasty authentic taquerías, great amusement parks like Sea World, and— did we mention?—beautiful beaches. If you don’t have a computer, the school has several computer labs that are open often so you can get your work done. There is also a huge recreation center with a pool, a workout room, and a fine basketball court. It is said sometimes that people don’t just go to the gym to work out— athletes from all over campus make the gym the place to be after class.

What to study?

One of the best things about college is you get to choose what you study. SDSU offers 81 different subjects you can zero in on called “majors.” Some areas of study include business, computer science, dance, journalism, politics, nursing, and even hospitality and tourism. (What’s hospitality? That’s when you learn to be the boss of a big Las Vegas hotel in charge of thousands of employees, and keeping a casino running 24 hours a day!) When deciding on your major, always contemplate what interests you most, because you’d probably enjoy studying it further and eventually working a job in that field.

What’s fun to do?

For cheap recreation, students head to the beach. In addition to world-class surf and scuba diving, the beach also has a super chill boardwalk and all sorts of eclectic stores and restaurants. At the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, just a short drive or bus ride from campus, students can take lessons to learn how to windsurf, kayak, wakeboard, sail, surf, and much more. Mexico, a mere 25 minutes away, also provides loads of adventures such as camping on the water in the Baja Peninsula or deep sea fishing in the Pacific. San Diego also has professional sports teams like the Chargers and the Padres, excellent food, and a cool downtown scene called ‘Gastown’ that has warehouse- style restaurants and hip coffee shops.

Who’s there?

One of every five students is non-white, and students come from all 50 U.S. states and 82 foreign countries. Freshman Jazmin Soltero says the school feels “extremely” diverse and that she enjoys meeting numerous types of people, including students with all kinds of abilities and from various socioeconomic backgrounds. In 2006, SDSU was ninth in the nation for awarding college degrees to Latinos and African-Americans

Get involved!

There are over 300 clubs and organizations at SDSU, including clubs for sports, academics, Greek life, film, dance, and religion. Many students at SDSU come from low income backgrounds and to help these students succeed the University created the SDSU’s Educational Opportunity Program—one the largest educational assistance programs in California. It offers assistance to low-income and educationally disadvantaged students by providing tutoring, test-preparation, advising, and financial assistance in the form of grants.

Pay it forward

For those who want to be involved in community activities while attending SDSU, consider joining the college’s Best Buddies club where students meet and create relationships with intellectual disabilities. There’s also the Aztec Dance Marathon team that raises money for children’s hospitals with 10+ hour Dance-a-Thons.

Athletics

The list of sports is long at SDSU: football, baseball, basketball, swimming, track, and much more. For you soccer players out there, the college has both men’s and women’s Division I teams known as the Aztecs. Students who want to play sports but are looking for a little less of a commitment can explore dozens of school league sports called ‘intramurals’ that are not very competitive and are more for students that just want to get in shape and have fun playing sports with their friends. The Aztec Recreation Center and new state-of-the-art Aquaplex (with 3 heated outdoor pools) give students even more options to stay healthy and keep fit.

With its strong academic background, fantastic location, and diverse student population, SdSU has the whole package! If this school sounds interesting, prospective students can take a closer look at sdsu.edu or apply online at admissions.sdsu.edu