Columbia offers a big-university experience at a small price, with the University of South Carolina at its centre and the state government adding a bit of gravitas. It is friendly, low-cost and well placed between the mountains and the coast. Just be ready for long, sweltering summers.

• Home to the University of South Carolina, the state's flagship, with 35,000 students.
• Charleston's beaches and Charlotte are both around 90 minutes away.
• One of the more affordable college cities in the southeast.

Gamecock football rules the autumn, with Williams-Brice Stadium and its Sandstorm entrance the centre of student life. Off the pitch, the action gathers in Five Points and The Vista, packed with student bars and live music. The river and nearby lakes give you an outdoors escape when the heat allows.

• Get to a Gamecocks game at Williams-Brice for the Sandstorm entrance.
• Five Points is the classic student bar district; The Vista is a touch more upmarket.
• Cool off with tubing or kayaking on the Saluda and Congaree rivers.

Columbia is cheap even by southern standards: budget around 1,100 to 1,700 dollars a month with shared rent. Purpose-built student flats are plentiful and reasonable, and eating out is inexpensive. Summer air-conditioning is the one bill that will surprise you.

• Shared student flats run about 500 to 750 dollars a month per person.
• A meal in Five Points rarely tops 15 dollars.
• The COMET buses are inexpensive and the Gamecock shuttle is free.

Most students rent in the large purpose-built complexes around campus and Five Points, many with pools and shuttle links. Older houses in Shandon and Rosewood offer more character a little further out. Leases often run a year, so look for semester sublets.

• Complexes near campus and Five Points are the easiest option for exchange students.
• Shandon and Rosewood have leafy streets and cheaper house shares.
• Ask the Studcasa Columbia group about sublets and reliable complexes.

Campus and the main student areas are walkable, and the free Gamecock shuttle loops the university. The COMET runs city buses for wider trips, though many students share a car for bigger shops and weekends away. Cycling works outside the peak summer heat.

• The Gamecock shuttle is free with your student ID around campus.
• The COMET buses cover the city and reach the airport cheaply.
• Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) handles connecting domestic flights.

The University of South Carolina is a large public research university on a semester system, well known for its international business, journalism and public health programmes. You will mix big lectures with smaller discussion sections, and continuous coursework matters as much as exams. Thomas Cooper Library is the round-the-clock study hub during term.

• Register early through Self Service Carolina; popular courses fill during orientation.
• The international student office runs orientation and regular social events.

Almost every exchange student needs a visa, and which one depends on your programme and nationality. Most exchange students come on a J-1 exchange visitor visa (with a DS-2019 from your host university) or an F-1 student visa (with an I-20); your US university tells you which and issues the document. You then pay the SEVIS fee, complete the DS-160 form, and attend an in-person interview at a US embassy or consulate, so start the moment you're accepted, as interview waits can be long.

Budget for the SEVIS fee (around 220 dollars for J-1, 350 for F-1) plus the visa application fee, and note J-1 visas carry mandatory health insurance rules and sometimes a two-year home-residency requirement. Keep every document for border entry.

• Most exchange students, J-1 (DS-2019) or F-1 (I-20) visa
• Pay the SEVIS fee (~$220 J-1 / ~$350 F-1) before your interview
• Complete DS-160 and attend an in-person consulate interview
• J-1 requires compliant health insurance; check the two-year home-residency rule

Columbia's food is comfort-first southern: mustard-based Carolina barbecue, fried chicken and soul food, with a growing craft-beer scene. Soda City Market takes over Main Street every Saturday with local produce and street food. The state museum and a surprisingly good zoo round out the culture.

• Try South Carolina's signature mustard barbecue at a local pit.
• The Saturday Soda City Market fills Main Street with food and produce.
• Riverbanks Zoo and Garden is one of the best-value days out.

Student life concentrates around campus, Five Points and The Vista, with quieter residential options a short ride out. Shandon and Rosewood offer leafy streets and character homes, while the downtown complexes keep you close to the nightlife. The heat makes proximity to a shuttle worth having.

• Five Points and near-campus complexes: closest to nightlife and lectures.
• The Vista: walkable, with restaurants and the riverfront.
• Shandon and Rosewood: quiet, leafy and better value for house shares.

Columbia sits handily between the coast and the mountains, with quick routes to Charleston, Charlotte and Atlanta. Congaree National Park and Lake Murray give you outdoors escapes close to home. A car or a carpool makes the most of the position.

• Charleston and its beaches are about 90 minutes southeast.
• Congaree National Park's boardwalks are only 30 minutes away.
• Charlotte (90 min) and Atlanta (3.5 hr) are easy longer weekends.

Columbia is straightforward and cheap, but the climate defines it. The summer heat is relentless, so plan your days around it and budget for air-conditioning. Lean into Gamecock traditions and you will find the town quick to adopt you.

• Summers are brutally hot; carry water and use campus buses to skip the walk.
• Get to a home football game early to catch the full Sandstorm ritual.
• Ask the Studcasa Columbia group which complexes have the best shuttle and pool.