Here is some practical information about San Diego and information on what to expect during your stay.
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Population
1,256,951
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Time Zone
GMT/UTC -8
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Languages
English
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Climate
Total Annual Rainfall
10 inches (25.4cm)
Total Annual Snowfall
0 inches
Annual Days with Mostly Sun
267
Average January Temperature
57.4°F (14.11°C)
Average July Temperature
71°F (21.6°C)
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What to Pack
Spring and Autumn
Mid-weight jacket
Short-sleeved shirts and light weight trousers, sweater for layering
Shorts for the warmest days
Summer
Shorts for daytime
Jacket or sweatshirt and long trousers for evenings near the water
Winter
This is the rainy season
Umbrella or rain jacket with hood
Long-sleeved shirts and sweaters
Warm jacket (not a heavy winter coat)
Comfortable shoes are important because there is plenty to see and walking around the city is the best way to experience it all.
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Electricity
110V 60Hz
Electric Plug Details
American-style plug with two parallel flat blades above a circular grounding pin/ Japanese-style plug with two parallel flat blades
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Religion
There are a selective number of religious communities. You will find Mosques, Synagogues, meditation rooms, Catholic Churches, Lutheran Churches, Methodist Churches, Unitarian Universalistic, Baptist churches etc.
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Money
ATMs are everywhere in San Diego. Major credit cards, including the Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted. Travellers cheques are also excepted in most places. If you want to convert your Travellers cheques to cash you can do so at any bank. However, you'll probably need to take your passport with you to prove your identity.
Currency
US Dollar ($)
Exchange Bureau
The closest bank we recommend is Washington Mutual Bank. They are located less than a five minute walk from our school, and have branches located across the United States. You can change money in most banks and some travel agent chains, as well as at the numerous bureaux de change throughout the city.
Compare rates and watch for the commission, which is not always mentioned.
Always ask how many dollars you’ll receive before deciding. It is a good idea to shop around.
Tipping
When dining out or drinking in a bar the recommended tip is 15 to 20 percent of your bill. Some restaurants automatically add a gratuity for large groups. Other tips include 15 percent tips taxi rides and $1 to $1.50 per bag for airport porters and hotel staff.
Cost of Living
Recommend weekly budget for personal expenses
$125-150
Price Guide
McDonald's Big Mac meal- $6
Cappuccino - $3.50
Cinema ticket- $10
Theatre ticket - $40+
Milk, 1 litre - $2
100% juice, 1 litre-$2.70
Soup x 400g- $2
Spaghetti, 500g - $1 - $2
Sliced cheese, 200g - $3.50
Toast bread, approx. 20 slices - $3
Rolls, 4 pieces - $2
Fruit yoghurt, 250ml- $1
Still water, 2 litres - $1
Potatoes, 1kg - $3.50
Transport
If you are planning on using public transport regularly around San Diego, it is recommended that you purchase a daily or monthly pass. These passes allow you an unlimited amount of travel on the trolleys and buses for the period purchased. For more information visit http://www.sdmts.com/home1.as
Visas
See our section on visa:
http://www.ecenglish.com/node/1074
Health
Students that are unwell should come to the office and notify the office so that we can help you arrange a doctors visit. If it is an emergency students are told to contact 911. Contact numbers for nearby clinics can be found in the handbook.Students with our Insurance pay either only 20% or none of medical fees up to the first $10,000. Doctors appointments usually run $100-$120
Water
Tap water is safe to drink
Vaccinations
Not required
Telephones and Mobile Phones
Country Dialing Code
+1
Area Code
619 and 858
Useful Numbers
- 911 – Emergency Services (police, fire, ambulance)
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Public Holidays
EC San Diego will be closed on Public Holidays. Lessons missed on these dates will not be made up. Exceptions are made for One-to-One courses where lessons missed will be made up. There is no refund for lessons missed.
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Christmas Holiday: The last day of school is 19 December 2008. Centres re-open on 5 January 2009
Public holidays observed on weekdays in San Diego, 2008:
21st Jan - Martin Luther King Jr. Day
18th Feb- Presidents' Day
26th May - Memorial Day
4th July - Independence Day
1st September - Labor Day
27th November - Thanksgiving
28th November -
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Safety
San Diego is not a dangerous city but it is always wise to ensure that you take sensible precautions to ensure your personal safety and that of your belongings.
DO
- keep all your personal belongings with you at all times, particularly in public places such as bars, restaurants and public tranport
Don't
- forget to take some for of identification with you when you go out to a bar; remember the leagal drinking age is +21 and you must be over 18 years of age to buy cigarettes.
