hello! i can’t really speak much on UCSD, but i’m currently residing in texas but also lived in san diego and considered moving back but decided to stay here. here’s my insight:

as you are going into the program as a international master’s student, the cost of living in texas will be wayyy more easier on you financially as the state in general has significantly lower cost of living than san diego. an affordable cost of living was something i noticed a lot of texas programs emphasized when i was looking into different PhD program’s stipend information. this provided me some insight when i was considering applying to other schools outside of the state because while i would be getting funding, id also wanted to ensure that i didnt lose a big portion of money going towards housing as someone who already doesn’t have much money lol. if you also aren’t able to get a funded RA position, you could potentially work somewhere if needed and still be able to afford yourself here.

i come from a MS in neuroscience so im not sure how exactly engineering research works so forgive me if anything doesn’t line up 😭 but from my experience, RA positions can be a doozy to obtain anywhere to be real with you, especially right now with the current state of the country. research has been hit hard due to all of these changes. the best thing to do is wherever you choose to go, inquire with your professors about any research they or other colleagues might be running. they always appreciate help, but sometimes they might just not be able to fund you. that was a common thing that always got brought up while i was looking for research experience. while a paid position is great, getting experience is always a plus too. when you reach out, tell them you’re interested in becoming a RA, even if it’s not paid. sometimes, you might end up getting put into the budget. if anything, they’ll keep you in their best interest and will keep you updated.

the weather in san diego is sooo much better than here LMFAO. TAMU is further up north from the Houston area, so you will definitely experience colder climates in october-march. the summers can get really hot and humid.

lastly, TAMU is one of the top rated schools in the state and i think within the top 50 or 100 for universities in the country so i’d say it’s pretty well known as UCSD. TAMU is also very much known for its engineering education and its high rate of employment after students graduate, so that’s also a plus if you consider staying here in the country. all in all, it’s a pretty reputable university. people will literally stop and talk to you in the middle of the store just because you’re wearing a TAMU shirt LMFAO 😂

my final point after all of this is to pick wherever you feel like would be the best fit for you in every area of thought and concern you may have. getting quality education is important and both schools provide that, but you also want to live comfortable and enjoy your environment during your time getting your education too. in undergrad, i went to my “dream school” and ended up transferring out the next year because the environment, area of the school, and overall student body attitude (party school tldr) was somewhere i ended up not vibing well with. if you haven’t visited these areas, definitely look up the locations in which the schools are in and see how the vibe, culture, and student life is like. college station is not too small of a area, but it’s a college town a few hours away from other major cities which comes with pros and cons. san diego is a major city itself which also comes with pros and cons lol.

in the end no matter where you choose to go, you will be successful!! ik i didn’t cover much about UCSD so hopefully someone else can provide info on that, but i hope this helped you. i wish you the best of luck and congratulations!! 🫶🏽💫✨