Bye Fall 2013, Welcome Spring 2014!

Hello everyone!

We’ve got to the end of Fall 2013, and a lot happened this semester! I’m talking about classes, homework, tests, and a lot of fun activities provided by MiraCosta College.

Early in the semester the International Institute of Perspective had a gathering to celebrate the graduation of the international students, the Honors Scholar Program awarded the students who participate in the program, and MiraCosta College hosted an amazing car show for staff and students! Halloween party, bio lab opening, and Veteran’s College hour were also great events that happened this semester. Also, I can’t forget to mention that our Female Soccer Team is the champion of their division! A huge hooray for them! Check out some pictures of some of the events MiraCosta College had this semester!

Now it’s time to prepare for Spring 2014. Make sure you’ve registered for your classes, and if you haven’t done it yet, go to SURF and enroll right now. There still are classes available and you do not want to miss the enrollment. If you’re an international student, make sure you’re enrolled in 12 units as part of your visa requirement.

I hope you all had a great semester and look forward to the next one! Happy Holidays! 

Budgeting for college

Fall semester is almost over and it's time to think about applying for Spring. Are you ready? I'm sure you're wondering how much it's going to cost you, what sort of documents you need to provide, etc. Don't worry. I'm here to help you out.

First, you have to take into consideration all sort of flat fees you will have, such as tuition and health insurance. International students are required do be enrolled in at least 12  units each semester, and health insurance is mandatory. Then, move to all ongoing expenses such as rent, transportation, groceries, books, and unexpected expenses. Make a list of everything you can think of that it will cost you money, and start your budget. An estimated cost of your expenses for an academic year (August - May) should look something like this:

• Tuition and fees: $6,000 (this is the cost for 12 units both semester);
• Health insurance: $1,350;
• Public transportation: $400 (this is the cost of a bus pass for 9 months);
• Rent: $700 (estimate cost to share an apartment with 1-2 other people);
• Textbooks: $1,000;
• Ongoing expenses (groceries, etc): $9,350.
• Total: $18,800

You need to provide MiraCosta College a bank statement - or multiple ones, as long as they have been issued on the same day - proving that you (or your sponsor) have $18,800 available and accessible to you any time while you're in the United States.

Remember, this is an estimate cost of expenses! If you want to purchase a car, you'll have to add all the expenses that come along with it (insurance, gas, registration, etc) to your budget; furthermore, you will have to budget for more. Be wise, take your time budgeting, and make sure you're coming here for a great experience and that you won't be in financial trouble! =)

Welcome to Sunny Oceanside!

Hello there, and welcome to sunny Oceanside!

MiraCosta College is located at Oceanside, CA. We are close to the beach, approximately 15 minutes from it, surrounded by beautiful palm trees and with mountains in the horizon. The weather in Oceanside is perfect for outdoor activities such as surfing, hiking, biking, beach volleyball, and more! The average high temperature ranges from 64ºF (18ºC) to 73ºF (23ºC), and the average low from 45ºF (7ºC) to 64ºF (18ºC).

You can take a nice walk by the Oceanside Pier and enjoy a delicious meal at many of the restaurants around, specially the one at the end of the Pier, or you can visit the California Surf Museum in downtown Oceanside. Still in downtown, you can watch a movie, visit the Farmers Market, and enjoy a delicious frozen yogurt.

MiraCosta College is also located close to downtown Oceanside, where you can find everything you need/want for fun. Take a look at our virtual tour to see for yourself how well located MiraCosta is, and get inspired by all the great opportunities you will have!

Back to the books!

Fall is here and with half of the semester already gone, it's time for midterms!

I'm current enrolled in 4 classes that require a lot of reading and writing, and since I love to read and write, I'm having a blast this semester. Although it's a lot of work, it feels great to acquire more and more knowledge and see it all paying off once I get my tests back. I've had one mid-term, around 9 tests, and a lot of homework. Next week I'll have 3 more tests and 2 assignments, and homework never stops.

It's good to be aware that professors have different teaching styles and that is reflected not only on how they lead the classroom, but also on how they present the exams, so before selecting your classes you should take a closer look at the class description and the required books. Scantrons, green and blue books are some of the required materials for test taking. Scantrons are used for multiple choice tests, and green and blue books are usually used for compositions or short answer questions. Homework will be assigned in different forms, so you may be required to write essays, answer to some questions, or do a presentation. As I said, it all depends on the professor teaching style.

Overall Fall 2013 has been a great semester! I had the chance to meet new people, make new friends, get a different - and great - experience in all my classes, and I'm very glad MiraCosta can provide me with all of that!