After you have received the approval from the UCSB, it is particularly time-consuming if you dedicate yourself to the visa. This takes a lot of time and patience, but when you have raised this, you will receive your long-awaited visa.
In addition, you should definitely take care of an apartment beforehand. Many students I met on site were annoyed that they did not have an apartment available yet. Therefore it is best to look for suitable offers on the website www.craigslist.com. Otherwise there is the possibility to ask about offers at the UCSB central apartment unit. I myself lived in Goleta on a street called Del Playa, which is known as party street number 1. The apartments are correspondingly expensive. But you have a lot of partying, the Pacific in front of the door and the university nearby. However, despite the high rents, the apartments are very popular, which is why you need a little luck in your search. But if you prefer a study-intensive semester abroad where you want a lot of peace and quiet,
City
Santa Barbara County is about 100 miles north of Los Angeles on the Pacific coast. About 90,000 people currently live in Santa Barbara. The houses are built in the Spanish style, and the main street, State Street, is kept very clean, so that you have the feeling of being in a small, idyllic town. It must be said that the city banned investors from building modern buildings. This should lead to the fact that the old house appearance is preserved. To the northeast are the Santa Barbara Mountains, where you can hike and climb. The hikes that I have been on have been really lovely. The sea also offers opportunities for surfing, sailing, diving, canoeing, etc. In addition, the city has an art museum, many restaurants and clubs, cinemas, a theater and an opera. Most of the clubs and restaurants can be found on State Street, which leads down to the water. Especially with the clubs it is important to mention that they are only accessible from the age of 21. The controls are very strict and do not allow any exceptions.
A big advantage of Santa Barbara is that you can get to Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Diego relatively quickly. This gives you the opportunity to go on nice weekend trips. You can also go to Yosemite Park or Lake Tahoe for a weekend. Absolutely worth seeing! Read more student reviews on Anycountyprivateschools.
The UCSB is about 10 miles north of Santa Barbara. The place closest to the campus is called Goleta. The small student town right on the campus and beach is Isla Vista (IV). A lot of party-loving students live there with a view of the Pacific. The campus itself is located on a peninsula in the Pacific. The range of subjects is very large. In Germany I am actually studying international business administration. Unfortunately, there are not many business-related courses at UCSB. And the ones there are very full very quickly. Therefore, you should get in touch with the respective course instructors before you start your studies. It is best to tell them that you are a foreign student and that you absolutely want to join their course. Then it should work in most cases. I took the following courses myself: Crime & Justice, Sports Management and Sports Administration, of which I can especially recommend Sports Administration. The academic level seemed to me to be very low compared to Germany, but this certainly differs from course to course.
All in all, I am very happy that I decided to spend a semester abroad at UCSB. It is impressive to get to know a very different society and not just spend a semester abroad in one of the neighboring European countries. The university is a dream of its possibilities. In addition, it is located directly on the sea, which makes the campus look spectacular and is certainly unique in the world.
Tip
One thing that certainly made my entire life in Santa Barbara easier was that I had a car. Whether you buy or rent a car, you won’t regret having a car. If you stay in Goleta for everyone, a bike is enough, but if you want to see a lot and want to stay flexible, you shouldn’t do without a car. This investment is definitely worth it!
