If you are going to San Francisco – My Exchange Semester at SFU

MODUL University Vienna offered me a once in a lifetime experience - not just the great time I have in Vienna, but also a great exchange semester in USA. I decided that I would like to go on an exchange semester right after I started at MU. My first choice was San Francisco State University in California, USA, because I read that it has a really good tourism and hospitality program. I thought it would be good to learn the hospitality industry from a different culture and perspective, and I wanted to see how they teach this degree in a different country. My other reason was because going to California has been one of my dreams for many years, and the exchange gave me the opportunity to stay in California for 5 months.

I adjusted to life in San Francisco very easily, I rented a room in a house that was only a ten-minute walk to campus. I had four roommates who were all from California and were also students from San Francisco State University. We became friends quickly, and they were always helpful whenever I had a question or if I needed help.

San Francisco State University also made it easy to meet new people! They organized an orientation the first week for exchange students who came from all over the world. The international office would organize events, activities, parties and trips every week. I enjoyed all my classes - my favorite was Food, Wine and Culture in California, which had assignments where we needed to go to restaurants and bars to taste the food and wines.

San Francisco is a great city, and every day you can find something new and fun to do. The people are very open minded, friendly and helpful. When they hear that you are a foreigner they are even more interested to talk with you. They want to know how your country and culture is like. The city is very international with many different cultures, with the food culture being one of the best things about San Francisco. The mix of the culture made for a great mix of cuisine! You can find everything from excellent sushi to traditional Mexican food or the hippie food trucks. Believe me all of them are delicious, I have tried them all!

I did a lot of activities while I was on exchange, such as going out at night at the marina district or mission district, jogging or biking on the golden gate bridge, and hiking at one of the hills to see the beautiful view. I was also able to continue my kickboxing training there. Sports are a big deal over there so it was easy to find a coach. I went to watch the famous SF Giants baseball game and went to see cup of America in Los Angeles which was also a nice experience to watch soccer with Americans.

I went to Mexico over spring break, and travelled all over southern Mexico with my good friend who was an exchange student at MODUL University two semesters ago. That’s another good thing about an exchange semester - you always meet people that you can visit later in different countries!

In conclusion, if you want to have a once in a lifetime experience, see the difference in education style, and learn the tourism sector from a different view, I would recommend to go on an exchange. As well, you can build friendships that will last forever. Four of my American friends have already booked their flights to visit me at different months over the year!

Overall, I would like to thank MODUL University for the opportunity to let me have this experience as an exchange student at San Francisco State University.