Things about SPB
1. It's a beautiful and big city.
2. People are nice, generally
3. It doesn't have fast living pace as Moscow or NY
4. It's not that expensive as Moscow
5. IT HAS COLD WINTERS. Not much because of the temperature but mostly because of wind chill factor, so be prepared. Air is also very moist even during winter season
6. There are lots to see in SPB.
7. They have subway system which might be useful if you need to travel faster than traffic

Are you going to study for free?