For part of my university degree course I have to take a year out and spend it in industry. There is also the choice to spend 6 months in work and spend 6 months at San Fransico State University studying with the students.
I really would like to experience the different culture, I live in England, and I know that it would look good on my C.V.
My problem is the cost of the visit, they say that it will cost between 6 and 10 thousand pounds for the six months.
Does anyone know how much the living costs would be for a student in the San Fransico area? the teaching fees would be covered by my local council. Are the lecturers here giving me a worst case estimate or would I really be looking at this sort of money?
I would love to experience the american way of life but simply could not afford this much money.
Plus I’ve heard the girls like an English accent so if theres any chance I wanna be on my way!
I don’t live in the San Francisco, so I can’t give you exact figures, but it sounds a little high to me. Exchange rate seems to be about 1.45 pounds to the dollar, so let’s say we’re talking $8800 to $14,500.00 for six months.
A quick look at rentals in the SFSU area looks to me as if you can count on paying at least $700/month for a room in a shared apartment. Most don’t mention if they include utilities, so add in another $50 minimum for that, maybe more. So count on $4500 in rent for six months, minimum.
Transportation? Let’s say you need a bus pass. I’m guessing $100/month for that. A quick check of http://www.goldengatetransit.org doesn’t list monthly bus passes, but in my experience, most cities offer something like that.
So we’re up to $5100.
Do you have to pay tuition, or is that included?
Otherwise, that leaves $3700 for food & entertainment for six months. When I was a starving student, I lived on far less than that. I’m thinking $300/month for food & entertainment would be adequate, if a little spartan. How much do you like ramen noodles? If you like them a LOT, and don’t ever go out, you could probably go even lower on that estimate.
San Francisco is an expensive town. It’s a nice town, but if money is an issue, are there any other university choices? A university in a small Midwest or Southern town is going to cost you WAY less. I grew up in a college town in the Midwest, and rents there would be more like $225-$300 for a room in a shared apartment, and you wouldn’t have to spend anything on transportation since you would live within walking distance of almost everything. Not quite the same experience as San Francisco, but a real US experience nonetheless.
The San Francisco Bay Area is definitely one of the most expensive places in the US to live. The reason, of course, is that it’s one of the coolest, most beautiful places in the country, if not the planet. SF is a truly amazing city, and I would definitely recommend the experience.
And yes, you heard right about American girls and English accents.
*Originally posted by Athena *
**I don’t live in the San Francisco, so I can’t give you exact figures, but it sounds a little high to me. Exchange rate seems to be about 1.45 pounds to the dollar, so let’s say we’re talking $8800 to $14,500.00 for six months.
A quick look at rentals in the SFSU area looks to me as if you can count on paying at least $700/month for a room in a shared apartment. Most don’t mention if they include utilities, so add in another $50 minimum for that, maybe more. So count on $4500 in rent for six months, minimum.
**
I think rent is going to be way higher then $700 a month. If you can find a place for that cheap you will be considered one of the lucky ones. However your program might have apartments set special for you in which case it could be different
** that leaves $3700 for food & entertainment for six months. When I was a starving student, I lived on far less than that. I’m thinking $300/month for food & entertainment would be adequate, if a little spartan. How much do you like ramen noodles? If you like them a LOT, and don’t ever go out, you could probably go even lower on that estimate.**
** Athena** left out any soviniers ( I know it’s spelled wrong leave me alone) and shows and side trips which can all add up. I’d say the price they gave you is about right. Also, I live in the SF area, and I can tell you, that all the girls I know do, indeed, dig an English accent.
Do it! You will never regret it and you may never go back. San Francisco is one of the most delightful places on earth. Email me if want more detailed answers.
Check out http://www.craigslist.org for apartment listings if you decide to look for a roommate in the area. I’ve found my last few roommates that way.
http://www.sfmuni.com/home/home40.htm is a good site for public transit in the area. We have Golden Gate Transit, BART, and MUNI. MUNI has the best coverage near SFSU.
If you do decide to come over, no matter where you choose, get yourself a local guide or two. I’m not talking about books, but someone who has lived in the area for a few years, and has a schedule similar to yours. It’ll save you no end of “adjusting” troubles to have a handy local at your side, at least for the first month or so.
San Fransisco is a fabulous city: beautiful, great climate, great atmosphere, within close shot of wine country, the redwoods. The cost of living is high but ordinary people DO manage to live there. Echoing Tranquilis here, there are SF Dopers who’d probably be willing to show you around a bit. Besides, you have the cool accent thing going for you. -->grins<–
Honestly, it’s one of the most beautiful cities anywhere. That’s opportunity knocking at your door, not the pizza delivery guy! Ways and means can be worked out. Now git yerself over here. You’ll kick yourself the rest of your life if you don’t at least take a spin at it. San Fransisco is so worth it!
Ok so it now appears that I have the choice of either going to San Fransico, USA for the 6 minth period or spend the same time in Sidney Australia.
I need some input from you guys
Where would you go?
The two choices are both on offer for me to study abroad and i am definatly excited with the offers.
Assuming that I can afford to go, and at the moment its by no means a certainty, where should I go???
The quality of the teaching is as good as equal so I am judging my choice on atmosphere, cost of living, local people, night life and local entertainment.
Im fairly sure of where I want to go but I’ll let you know that after I hear what you think.
I’m a Brit, I’ve been to the USA many times and I have relatives and friends in Oz. It seems to me that you can’t lose, since either destination will rock.
That having been said, I’d suggest you go for Fat Sam’s Disco. I love the USA and I think you will too. The people, the lifestyle, the culture (yep, the culture - it’s not all Jerry Springer), the attitude… I think you’ll have a great time. Problems paying for it all? Yawn. There are always money problems, but you will do what everyone else does… you’ll find a way to get by somehow. Besides, the opportunities to make some cash on the side are plentiful in SF.
Oz is also a great place to go, but I think the enduring Oz-Brit antipathy just takes the shine off it when compared with America.
And yes, there are many American women who do find the English accent appealing. As one once said to me, “You know, it’s just so nice to actually hear the language being spoken properly for once”. Add to this the fact that we English guys know a great deal more than our American counterparts about how to treat a woman well, woo her romantically, show her respect and keep her interested and pleased, and it all adds up to a pretty promising outlook for you!
Frisco is a city of great liberality and freedom. I think the city motto goes something like this: “Both the Poor and the Rich are free to sleep in the alleys and eat out of the garbage-cans in our fair City”.
If you like the smell of urine as you walk the streets, go to Frisco.
Somebody clue me in on this, but is San Francisco State going to add to your resume??? Or are you thinking that the overseas experience will add to your resume?? Does San Francisco State have something that no other school has? I am not denigrating SF State, but it’s not a well known school in the USA, although maybe it has some world class programs???
And nobody will want to hear about your overseas experience on your resume unless it directly relates to what they want. So if there isn’t a specific program at San Francisco State that you need, it’s probably not going to be a help on your resume. This is advice from someone who thought that a semester in Europe would be a great life experience. Well, it definitely was, but nobody has wanted to hear about it on a resume or in an interview.
Also, if you are going for the fun of it, you may not have any money to spend on having fun in San Francisco.
San Francisco is extremely expensive for housing in particular. You may be looking at long commutes to school. It seems like San Francisco now mostly for venture capitalists and other fairly well off professionals.
How about San Diego? New Orleans? North Carolina?
“San Francisco - where everybody thinks their heavy business.” - Frank Zappa
I lived for years in “The City”; call me an oddball, but I still call it Frisco.
I got the feeling from everyone I knew there that they, each and every one of them, were personally responsible for the physical grandeur of its setting, the hills, the bridges, and it’s … ahem… culture. As if they had not only discovered ‘Paradise’, but that it had sprung full-blown from some magical part of themselves.
My view is that it’s basically a hick town on the edge of nowhere.
I have on occasion used names for it that I think you’d find even more offense.
That said, I’ve been know from time to time to call Chicago, ‘Shit-cago’ — and Detroit, ‘De-toilet’. And New Orleans I call ‘The Big Sleazy’.
I got kind of sick of walking down pissy streets and watching people eat out of garbage cans, in Frisco.
Thank God I’d already moved out of there, before some weird cult stole a concrete parking-barricade that was shaped like a phallus, and set up a shrine to it in Golden Gate Park, with the eventual ‘blessings’ of City Hall.
I am a product design student and although I attend possibly the best university for this subject in Europe San Fransico State Uni is the best in this area in America and probably the world.
Its the experience of travel and experiencing the different culture/environments that I believe would be good on my resume.
