San Diego offers the Southern California dream with a more relaxed, liveable feel than LA: world-class beaches, near-perfect weather year-round, and a laid-back surf culture. UC San Diego in La Jolla and SDSU anchor a big student population, and Mexico is just across the border. It is not cheap, but the lifestyle is hard to beat.

• Home to UC San Diego, San Diego State and the University of San Diego.
• Near-perfect weather and miles of beaches year-round.
• Tijuana, Mexico is only about 30 minutes across the border.

Student life revolves around the beaches, with Pacific Beach and Mission Beach the classic gathering spots, backed by the bars of the Gaslamp Quarter and hip North Park. Surfing, hiking and beach volleyball are woven into daily life. The mild climate keeps everything outdoors all year.

• Learn to surf at Pacific Beach or Ocean Beach; boards are easy to rent.
• North Park has the best craft beer and independent bar scene.
• The Gaslamp Quarter downtown is the main nightlife district.

San Diego is expensive, driven by coastal housing: budget around 1,700 to 2,600 dollars a month with shared rent. Beachfront rents are steep, so many students share inland or near campus. The outdoors lifestyle, at least, is largely free.

• Shared rooms run about 900 to 1,400 dollars a month depending on area.
• Save by sharing inland and using the MTS Trolley to reach the coast.
• A U-Pass or Compass Card makes trolley and bus travel cheap.

UC San Diego students cluster in La Jolla, University City and along the Blue Line trolley extension, while SDSU students favour the College Area and North Park. Coastal living is dear, so sharing is essential and inland saves money. The trolley extension has opened up cheaper options near campus.

• La Jolla and University City suit UCSD students, now on the Blue Line.
• The College Area and North Park are popular with SDSU students.
• Ask the Studcasa San Diego group about rooms and reliable landlords.

The MTS Trolley has expanded to reach UC San Diego and La Jolla, making car-free student life far easier, backed by buses and a Compass Card. The beaches and North Park are cyclable, and many students combine transit with the odd rideshare. Downtown and the coast are well linked.

• The Blue Line trolley now runs from downtown to UCSD and La Jolla.
• Get a Compass Card; students can buy a discounted U-Pass.
• San Diego International (SAN) is close to downtown and cheap to reach.

UC San Diego is a major public research university on a quarter system, strong in the sciences, engineering and oceanography, while SDSU runs on semesters with a broader profile. The quarter pace at UCSD is fast, with continuous assessment and big lectures backed by smaller sections. Geisel Library, the iconic study hub, keeps long hours in term.

• Check your calendar; UCSD runs fast-paced quarters, SDSU runs semesters.
• Both universities have busy international offices with trips and support.

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

San Diego is the home of the California burrito and some of the best Mexican food north of the border, alongside a huge craft-beer scene and Convoy Street's superb Asian restaurants. The culture is relaxed, outdoorsy and beach-focused. Fish tacos and a sunset are the essential local combination.

• Try fish tacos and a California burrito from a local taqueria.
• Explore Convoy Street for outstanding Asian food across the region.
• Sample the craft-beer scene that helped launch the American movement.

San Diego's neighbourhoods stretch along the coast and inland, from upscale La Jolla by UCSD to the beach towns of Pacific and Ocean Beach, hip North Park and the downtown Gaslamp. Your campus and budget shape the choice, with inland sharing the money-saver. Trolley access is increasingly worth chasing.

• La Jolla and University City: coastal and close to UCSD, but pricey.
• Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach: classic, sociable surf neighbourhoods.
• North Park and the College Area: hip, cheaper and near SDSU.

San Diego is superbly placed for the Southwest and Mexico. Tijuana is a walk across the border, LA and its own attractions sit a couple of hours north, and the deserts of Joshua Tree and Anza-Borrego are close for stargazing. The Pacific Surfliner train makes coastal trips easy.

• Cross into Tijuana on foot at San Ysidro; carry your passport and visa.
• The Pacific Surfliner runs up the coast to LA and Santa Barbara.
• Anza-Borrego and Joshua Tree deserts are close for hiking and stars.

San Diego rewards those who embrace the outdoors and plan around the cost of coastal living. Share inland to save, use the expanded trolley, and keep your passport handy for Mexico. The weather means you can be outside every single day.

• Keep your passport and visa in order for spontaneous Tijuana trips.
• Evenings and the ocean breeze get cool; carry a layer even in summer.
• Ask the Studcasa San Diego group about the best-value inland shares.