Presence is far more rewarding than productivity. And life in Europe is the perfect example for it. Europe has a lot to offer. Apart from the beautiful scenery, delicious food, affordable travel and amazing architecture, the culture and the people ...
Hong Kong is an incredibly unique mix of Western and Eastern cultures. Even the landscape is unreal: tall, skinny skyscrapers, both new and old, are built right into these huge and beautiful mountains. Itās almost futuristic. Although itās a very ...
I’m sitting on a train to Amsterdam, writing this week’s vlog. The weather is now very nice, sunny but still cold, and it’s finally that time of year when you start wearing coats, scarves, and beanies. While you reader may ...
Jessica Jha, ā23, is a Data Science major studying at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea during the Summer Quarter 2022. My first class begins at 9am, and luckily my accommodation is only a 2 minute walk to the train ...
Towards the end of the study abroad program in April, I had over a week off for Easter break, as they call it here in Europe. It was a ten day break so I had decided to spend the entire break in Italy! I went along with three other friends from South Korea, who I ...
I have a fuzzy recollection of how I felt the first time I stepped out in Barcelona. First, non-jam-packed seeing as I had just come from the highly dense country of Hong Kong and was still reeling from the effects. Second, keen because Iād done little research about the city but Iād heard good stories ...
One of the main advantages of studying abroad in Europe is the convenience of travelling to other nearby or Schengen countries. Within the Schengen area, there is no border control, so there is no need for a separate visa for each country. It is also very helpful to create your university class schedule in a ...
One of the most frequently asked questions about studying abroad is if it is expensive to study abroad. The answer is, it depends on many factors and what you choose to do during your study abroad. Logistically, the tuition fee for the quarter you are studying abroad will cost the same as for any normal ...
Having gone abroad and not with a friend group I knew well, it was definitely tough finding my footing when it came to friends. Thereās the whole thing about independence and being comfortable doing things solo, and I endorse that completely, but that doesnāt take away from the fact that itās nice to have company ...
Iād heard of this Las Fallas celebration prior to arriving in Spain, seeing as all my Spanish friends deemed it a must, and it came highly recommended. Some research to understand its significance and aid my planning gave me some useful information as follows: Las Fallas is an annual festival that takes place in Valencia, ...
A typical day anywhere isnāt super eventful; waking up and going to school is the baseline of most days, but an exciting ātypicalā dayā¦ an exciting typical day has events and exploration and windings, and Iām going to take you through an exciting typical day studying in Barcelona. I wake up at about 8:30, I ...
When the logistics part of my Study Abroad plans had been sorted(application, courses selection, finances…), it was time to leave, and while I thought packing would be a walk in the park, throw a couple of pants, some cute tops, one or two pairs of sneakers… or should I go with one pair of sneakers ...
Iām a black woman, so thatās two major identifiers that I have to research when I travel, I Google questions like āIs it safe for women to travel in {insert country name}ā or search TikTok for hashtags such as āBlack in {insert country name}ā. Itās necessary housekeeping that Iāve learnt to do because every once in a ...
On most weekends, I either travel within Spain or to a different country. However, I intentionally left a few weekends free to spend time in Madrid. Before I leave Madrid, I want to be familiar with every neighborhood in this city, because Madrid has so much to offer! As a study abroad student in Madrid, ...
Growing up, I learnt French for some 8 years, but as if I didnāt know it already, a recent trip to France proved to me that my years had been close to in vain. Going abroad and needing to learn Spanish got me scared, Iāve never been a linguist or capable of speaking anything but ...
Hola mi gente! Before coming, one of the biggest questions I was asked was, āSo where are you staying?ā. As for this program, instead of living in dorms or in solo apartments, we lived with host families. Every student had their own separate family to live with, but we were all in the same general ...
As someone who is passionate about pursuing medicine, I knew it was important to find a study abroad program where I could learn more about the healthcare world. I am also passionate about learning the Spanish language and learning more about Latinx culture and so the program that I am currently participating in is the ...
Before I got to study abroad, I was the most persnickety student I knew. The CCI building was my morning, afternoon, and evening; the library during finals week was my haven, and devotion like that came with good grades, but at the expense of my social life and basically any frivolities that a college student deserves. Very ...
In my previous blog I left off talking about the many fun and culturally informative travels that I did with ICDS. Which I donāt think I ever said what ICDS was, but it stands for International Center for Developmental Studies and is the company that Drexel is partnered with to allow us to study in ...
The last week of Winter term is coming, with some final school work to be done. Though it is a busy season of the year for many students, I decided to give myself some quality time to relax and enjoy the beauty of early spring; a trip to Washington DC! Because it was an impromptu ...
This week was the final week of classes for my first quarter in Drexel. My first term has flown here and I look forward to getting a week off classes. The terms over here are a lot longer than in my home institution. As Drexel is a quarterly university, college goes all year round consisting ...
It is the final week of Winter Term. This is going to be my last blog entry, and I feel like it is a good time to do some review and reflection on my two and a half months in Drexel. As a medical student, I did not have the chance to learn things outside ...
Ā”Hola mi gente! Studying abroad is exciting and confusing, especially for concerned friends and loved ones back home, so there are a lot of questions. Here are some examples of the most commonly asked questions I have gotten from my friends and family at home. This list is in no particular order of frequency or ...
The best part about being in a study abroad program is the new friends that I have made. A close second, however, would definitely be the program-sponsored field trips that I have had the opportunity to take. These field trips have been fully sponsored by the International Center for Developmental Studies and I have learned ...
Buenas todos, today I’m gonna be discussing culture shock and how I’ve experienced it during my time here in Costa Rica. Culture shock is a common and expected concept that an individual will experience when living in a different country for any period of time — especially a three month study abroad trip; it can ...
Now that I only have a week left, I thought I would compile all of the weekend trips that I have taken here in Costa Rica! Monteverde Monteverde was such a gorgeous introduction to all of the biodiversity that Costa Rica offers. I stayed in a hostel room with a couple of other people from ...
One of my goals during my time here is to educate myself on social issues, whether it be local or national. This Monday, I learned about one of the ongoing issues in West Philly. To put it simply, Penn and Drexel are planning to buy up the affordable housing complex University City Townhomes, redevelop the ...
American Highschool, teenage, and college life movies are pretty popular in South Korea. Some parts of the movies are very culturally unfamiliar to Koreans – such as football, homecoming, prom, fraternities, and sororities. These cultural aspects become a part of an American Fantasy for some people as they are like a “world of the unknown” ...
One of the hardest things about studying abroad is planning what you really need to pack for your trip. Because if you’re anything like me, you’re an over-packer. When you pack you have to make sure you arenāt over weight limit for luggage allowance and of course you want to leave enough space to bring ...
I chose to study abroad in Spain knowing my limited abilities in Spanish. I did not study it in high school either, so I had zero exposure to the language prior to coming to Madrid. A few weeks before the study abroad, I began learning some basic phrases on Duolingo so that I could get ...
Last week I spent the weekend in New York. It was my second time visiting since arriving in Philly on international exchange and it definitely wonāt be my last. It is an incredible city that has something to offer for everyone. Itās an incredibly vibrant place and the architecture, culture and atmosphere of the place ...
In Korea, when we see a diligent person living an exemplary life, we call that lifestyle “a God-life” – as in a lifestyle that a God would have. Having been “playing” too much recently, I thought that I may need to change my everyday routines to live a healthier life. Therefore, I decided that this ...
As an international exchange college student living in Philadelphia, one of my favourite things has been the rich history that is embedded in the city’s architecture and museums. Last weekend I visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which houses some of the world’s most renowned art collections. At the core of their collection they have ...
It has been nothing but freezing cold weather since I came to Philly, and I started to miss summer, beaches, and sunshine. So, my friends and I decided to skip classes for a week (hey we are all exchange students, itās now or never sorry professors), packed our bags, and went to Florida. It was ...
One of my favorite things to do in Madrid is eating out! I am always on the lookout for good restraunts that serve authentic Spanish food as well as vegetarian options although typical Spanish meals do contain meat. Before the study abroad program, I was skeptical about the food options for vegetarians and was worried ...
Hello folks! I currently have the pleasure of living in the gorgeous country of Costa Rica and the privilege of living in a small community just outside of the capital city San Jose. This little suburb of San Jose is called Sabanilla, where the majority of the study abroad students in the program live, is ...
Deciding what to pack for a weekend trip is hard enough, so what do you pack for a three-month study abroad trip? Obviously, you need to bring the really important things like your passport, drivers license/state ID, insurance cards, credit or debit cards, but like, what else do you REALLY need? After living in Costa ...
Week 7 has probably been the slowest paced week in terms of activities Iāve done since arriving here from Dublin. I was focusing a lot on my studies this week after a hectic weekend of visitors. Two friends came up from Canada and we had a fantastic time with them. It was amazing to see ...
One of the most pressing questions I had before starting my study abroad experience revolved around what an average dayās schedule would look like. Once I arrived here, I was very quickly put into a comfortable routine that I have been able to follow ever since. Here is what the schedule of an average Tuesday ...
It’s already been about 2 months since I first moved to Philadelphia. I love hanging out with friends, exploring new places, and discovering delicious restaurants. I feel like I have visited most of the Philadelphia “must visit” locations. But searching Google Maps, I realized that there are a lot of museums that I have not ...
My classes have been informative and very interesting. I am currently taking Spanish, Economics of Healthcare, Vulnerable Populations, and Healthcare in Costa Rica. The classes are very participation-based and do not have a lot of work required outside of class. Classes are not held on Fridays, which gives us three-day weekends. The classes are held ...
As you could tell from the title, yes, I love shopping. Growing up with 2000s chick flicks, Disney Channel, and Nickelodeon cartoons/sitcoms, they would always show the popular kids hanging out in the mall after school. Those shows would always include scenes of girls going dress shopping together, starting catfights with their rivals, running into ...
On Sunday, I woke up excited about the upcoming game in the evening. I was about to have the biggest night of Philly with the Superbowl game between the Eagles and Kansas City – which, BTW was surprisingly a football team of Missouri, not Kansas..! I wasn’t very interested in football before and don’t know ...
As we were getting close to Superbowl Sunday, the whole city was buzzing with excitement. The Philly streets were filled with people wearing green, and I had an Eagles cap on too when we were heading to Center City on Saturday. It was an awesome experience as I would yell āGO BIRDS!ā in random peoplesā ...
Last weekend I spent time in DC. I was really excited going there to see how it differs from Philly. In terms of the city itself, I felt it was a very corporate atmosphere. I think this might have been a result of visiting on the weekend and DC being very much a working city ...
This week Iāve noticed a big change in the weather. Iām not sure how the seasons work in the US, or in Philly in particular but the now warmer temperature has been a huge welcome. Iāve also come to the conclusion that Philly is more beautiful looking when the sun shines. I had a friend ...
I have always loved visiting vintage stores. I adored the feeling of getting into a store and never knowing what to expect. It was like looking through a mystery box, full of unique treasures waiting for you to discover, and every piece had its own story behind it. Back in Hong Kong, I would spend ...
Costa Rica is incredibly biodiverse and is also the home to many different microclimates. These microclimates are home to an array of fresh fruits, vegetables, and livestock that supply the Costa Rican population throughout the year. During my time here, I have tried many different foods, including some fruits that I personally had never had ...
I’m Sunny, 21 On Friday morning, at 6 am, I woke up excitedly and got on the lyft to Philadelphia Airport. The plane arrived at 8 from Boston, dropping my dear old friend in my city. Virginia is a friend I met in Oklahoma back in 2012, and we have been looking forward to meeting ...
I’m Sunny! Weeks are flying by here, especially with the term only being 10 weeks long. The quarter system is pretty new to me, and for that matter so are having midterm exams during Week 4 of the term. Not to mention, never have I ever in my life had three exams for one course ...
Last Saturday, I woke up at 6:30am with groggy eyes. Chowing down an apple and a cup of coffee, me and my friends rushed to the bus station, catching the bus to New York City. Growing up, I watched countless movies and TV shows taking place in the bustling metropolis. As the song goes āNew ...
Apart from all of the fun I have had traveling so far during my time abroad, one of the main aspects of studying abroad is the studying. Currently, I am taking four classes that are the equivalent of 16 credits using Drexelās system. These classes include Economics of Healthcare, Healthcare in Costa Rica, Spanish, and ...
While this week hasnāt been my busiest, Iāve now accepted that Philadelphia is a city that truly has it all. As a recent transplant to the city, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by all that it has to offer. While the weather is still a bit chilly, the sunny days are becoming more and more frequent, ...
This week has all been about the eagles. Coming from Ireland, I have no idea about American Football or how it works, however itās clear to me the passion there is here in Philly for the Eagles and how the city embraces them in such a strong way. Thereās a similar culture to be seen ...
To be frank, when I first heard of homecoming at Drexel, I thought there will be some sort of prom/dance thing that we have to dress up for (yes, I know right?). I was mentally ready to do all the tedious dress hunting, turns out everything was not what I was expecting!Ā The homecoming week ...
I’m Sunny, 21, and Go Eagles! Being an exchange student, I am always looking for chances to really enjoy life in Philly. Back in my home university in Korea, I was a vice president of an exchange student organization where we helped adjust exchange students to life in Korea through various activities and buddy programs. ...
I’m Sunny, 21, an exchange student at Drexel University. On January 9, 2023 the winter quarter of Drexel University and my first day of school as an exchange student began! A mandatory orientation was scheduled at 10 a.m. at the intercultural center, so I left my apartment near 9. Since I left the house bit ...
As a new Irish person living in Philadelphia, it has been quite wholesome to be able to immerse myself in the rich cultural heritage of this city while also maintaining my own cultural identity. One of the things I have found to love most about living in Philadelphia so far is the abundance of Irish ...
It was officially the second week of classes, and so far, everything has been going great. I have finally recovered from my frustrating jet lag and got the energy to hit the gym for the first time at Drexel! My mood always gets better after a good sweat. One thing that I wanted to talk ...
When I first entered Costa Rica, there were a couple of cultural changes that I immediately faced. Now that I have spent two weeks in Costa Rica, I feel as though I have finally started to accept some of the norms as parts of my routine. For starters, as soon as I entered the home ...
I’m Sunny, 21, from Seoul, South Korea to Drexel in Phila, PA On December 29th, 2022 I got on the plane to Philadelphia after teary goodbye to my friends at Incheon International Airport. After about 21 hours of travel, I arrived at my new apartment in Philly. The Uber driver was kind enough to help ...
After a very long and somewhat tedious 22-hour flight, I finally arrived in Philadelphia on a cloudy and chilly Sunday. The first thing I did after landing was to check into Caneris Hall, which is where I will be staying in for the next 5 months. I was immediately greeted with smiles and hugs from ...
It’s almost one week since I’ve landed in Philly to begin my international exchange. One thing that I noticed early on is the overwhelming friendliness of Philly people and their willingness to stop and talk, and give city recommendations. I had underestimated the actual size and scope of Philadelphia before arriving here. The skyline and ...
Hola from Costa Rica! Now that I have officially been here for a week, I have finally settled into my new home with my host family, met some new friends from universities across the United States, and started my classes. In the past week, I have also discovered that I have been using some of ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. Alas, after four months abroad my study abroad journey has almost come to an end. The week leading up to my flight back home where I am extremely excited to reunite with my friends and family, ...
With the finals rush coming to an end and the countdown to my early morning flight back to the US waning, it is time to say goodbye to Dublin! In this bittersweet moment, I am happy to be heading home for the holidays, yet still longing for more travel experiences. The past three and a ...
I am a football fanatic, and, like pretty much the entire world right now, I am obsessed with the Menās FIFA 2022 World Cup! Iāve been playing soccer (sorry football!) since I was in 2nd grade. Every four years, I have managed to get locked into watching every match and highlights, following all the stages, ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. The best part about studying abroad in Europe for me has been the easy access when it comes to traveling to other countries outside of Italy. Since Rome is in such a central location in Europe, ...
Sitting on my bed at midnight, I am reflecting on my time here at Drexel, and in the US generally. This year has been an interesting one for me, in many respects. I have had several opportunities that have helped me experience growth, learning and helped me become – my study abroad at Drexel being ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. I never really understood what people meant when they told me “studying abroad will change your life,” until now, Spending four months away from home in a country you have never visited really does in fact ...
While the December chill brings a warm Christmas glow to high-spirited Dublin, Trinity College students are busy motivating themselves to make it through their last week of classes before finals. Trinityās course structure includes a Study Week between the last week of classes and before Finals Week. In my case, out of my five courses, ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. One of the best parts about studying abroad, is obviously as you can tell by the title, food! Studying in Rome, has given me the chance to try endless amounts of traditional Roman dishes that are ...
As a Biological Sciences major on the pre-med track, I knew I was interested in a public health minor to understand more about how social, economic, environmental, and community factors play a role in an individual or communityās health. I decided to minor in Global Public Health during my 2nd year at Drexel University, after ...
It’s officially December, and I’m thrilled that the Christmas market season is here! It’s time to listen to “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “Jingle Bell,” or “Felix Navida” while sipping mule wine, drinking hot chocolate, or eating crepes and sausages. While there are dozens of Christmas Markets worldwide, I can assure you that ...
During Week 9 of the Fall Semester is Trinity College Dublinās Reading Week ā a well-deserved, break for undergraduate students in the middle of the semester (this year Oct. 24th to Oct 31st, 2022). Most study abroad students take this time to explore and travel. Along with three other friends on study abroad, I spent ...
Everything comes to an end and my exchange at Drexel is no exception. During these last days here Iāve been busy juggling between assignments, projects and finals, trying to submit everything in time. Nevertheless, I also had some time to think and reflect on how this quarter abroad went, the ups and downs of my ...
Thanksgiving, as a holiday, is not celebrated in Nigeria or Germany- two countries I am mostly affiliated with. Therefore, it was one holiday I was looking forward to experiencing during my time here in the US. Before I go ahead and talk about my first Thanksgiving experience, two things first. One, I have come to ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. Before coming abroad to Rome, my knowledge of the Italian language was extremely minimal. I did try my hand at daily Duolingo lessons on my phone, but its not easy to learn an entire language when ...
This week was a busy one. Between classes, quizzes and travel I was kept fairly busy. My classes came and went as usual apart from a philosophy quiz on Tuesday. My brain was fried from trying to remember the difference between disjunctive and hypothetical syllogisms. That night I went to the menās basketball game against ...
Although my life in Hong Kong has been full of crazy adventures and lots of sightseeing, there have also been a lot of relaxing and work-dedicated days necessary for recharging and completing assignments. I thought Iād outline one of these typical days in my life as an HKU student. I started my day by walking ...
It might sound weird to some of you but I’ve never been to a basketball game, like, ever. To be fair, I haven’t been to any sports game at all. Even when I was in Italy, sports games were never on my to-do list. Coming to the US, however, I knew I had to watch ...
This week saw the last few days of warm weather before the inevitable cold at the tail end of Fall sets in. Although this might be a disappointment for most, I myself love the cold and cannot wait for those days where I can wrap myself up in hoodies and hats. Given my complexion Fall ...
One of the perks of having an exchange program in Philadelphia is that it is very close to major US cities like New York, Washington DC, etc. Naturally, as someone who has limited time in the US, I had to visit these cities. So, last weekend, I took a day trip to NYC! New York ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. For as long as I can remember, I have always been extremely interested in studying abroad and finding a college with a great study abroad program was a huge priority of mine. Thankfully, Drexel had exactly ...
In one of our last send-off seminars with Drexelās study abroad advisors, we were asked what we were most anticipating in Hong Kong. My answer, of course, was the food! Hong Kong is famous for having some amazing and distinct cuisine. You will come across most of these traditional foods being sold walking down any ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. After having had the opportunity to live in Rome for almost three months now, I think I can say that I have a solid list of must see places and especially restaurants that I can recommend ...
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays; I love the fall weather, the costumes, the movies, the haunted houses, and the overall spooky atmosphere. I didnāt know if or how Halloween was celebrated in Hong Kong, as it is certainly more of a big deal in the USāwe even dedicate a whole āHalloweekendā to it. ...
Throughout this week my main priority was finding somewhere to watch the World Series. Of course I tended to my schoolwork and other duties as any responsible student would, but with the Phillies returning to Citizens Bank Park with a win under their belt, the dream of a World Series looked to be on the ...
I’m writing this article as I’m sitting on the bus, admiring once again the skyline of Philadelphia, that will take me to New York for the second time this month. It’s probably not the most usual time to write about the challenges of being an exchange student, yet a part of me feels a bit ...
Continuing from my last blog post here, I will be mentioning a few more culture shocks I have had since moving from Germany to Philadelphia. More Expensive: The cost of living is relatively expensive, at least when compared to Germany, and probably Europe in general. The cost of goods and services, from anything between grocery ...
The first half of this week primarily consisted of attending my classes during the day and spending time with my parents in Center City at night. Tuesday night we went out to Cleavers, a cheesesteak place in Center City on 18th and Chestnut. There I got ordered myself āThe Cleaverā — a cheesesteak with one ...
This week marked the beginning of the second half of the Fall quarter here at Drexel. Looking back, my first two months here in the US have really flown by. With six weeks of classes under my belt I think itās safe to say that I have, or at least really should have, a decent ...
I don’t think I’ll shock anyone by saying that, as an Italian born and raised in Italy, food is a very sensitive and important topic for me. In this post I’ll list my top three best and worst foods I’ve tried so far in the United States. I’ve only been here for two months so ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. It has officially been about two months since I have started my study abroad journey and I feel as if I have a good amount of knowledge to spread on this topic. In my previous blog ...
After living in Philadelphia for a few years, Iāve become pretty familiar with taking public transportation, but itās something that I have to use every single day in Hong Kong. HK has a notoriously sophisticated transportation system that makes every area easily accessible, and I have so many options when it comes to traveling from ...
In my second month of being in Philadelphia, and by extension the US, I have had certain novel experiences that in some cases were interesting, while in others came as a shock to me. I have outlined some of these culture shocks which I have experienced since moving to the US from Germany. More Vibrant ...
To continue where we left with my last article here are five more cultural shocks that I’ve experienced as an Italian living in Philly. #5 Cost of living This point might not exactly fall into the cultural shock category, but it surely was shocking for me. The cost of living in the USA, especially in ...
Now halfway through my time studying abroad here in Dublin, I have been able to explore most of the major tourist attractions in the city. The following is a list of my five favorite must-see attractions, spanning both historical museums and beautiful sites! 1. Dublin Castle and Chester Beatty Library An early Viking settlement and ...
Philadelphia is Pennsylvaniaās largest city and its collection of museums and historical artifacts, and sites boast of its richness of art, culture, and history. There is, surely, a lot to do in Philly, and here I would like to mention just a few of them. Visit Old City, “America’s most historic neighborhood” and in addition ...
Dublin in Irish is known as Baile Ćtha Cliath, coming from the old Irish settlement name Ćth Cliath ā which means āHurdled Fortā. The history of this city dates back to over a millennium ago, and it is crazy to compare the timeline of events in this one city to the timeline of any American ...
As the semester at HKU reaches the halfway point and our midterms wrap up, I thought itād be an apt time to give a progress report on learning a second language. Throughout middle school and high school, I learned Spanish; however, living on the East Coast in a predominantly white town gave me almost no ...
One week after arriving in Hong Kong, on a Monday night, I found myself sitting around two old tables, surrounded by unfamiliar faces; a laundry basket filled with drinks was placed next to me, and a steaming hot platter of dumplings was placed in front of me. At that moment and for the following four ...
This week my parents arrived in Philly from Ireland for a week-long visit. Having lived in King of Prussia themselves for a year about two decades ago they were eager to see what has changed. Their first night here on Wednesday I took them to experience the culinary excellence that is Shake Shack. The crinkled ...
Week 5 has just come to an end, which means I am basically mid-way through my exchange time abroad. Despite still having many places to see and things to do I’ve already confronted many aspects of the American culture that shocked me, so here’s a short list. #10 Customer Service One of the first culture ...
When I applied to study abroad, I had never been outside North America. In my mind, travel was a cool concept, but super stressful. I had no idea where to even begin in terms of planning and logistics, or what problems to expect. I wanted to take the chance in Hong Kong to visit other ...
Halfway into the quarter has brought with it mid-term exams and papers, in addition to the weekly dose of assignments, class works and readings. Having been here for a while now, I feel somewhat equipped to share some tips or guide for navigating the system at Drexel as a new [exchange] student. I must mention ...
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas… They are all amazing holidays, but sometimes you just want to enjoy the arrival of the fall season as it is, watching the trees becoming yellow and orange and the weather becoming more rainy and chilly. If you’re a fan of the fall season then the Harvest Weekend is must-go during your ...
It’s the time of the year again when students rush to edit their resumes, practice their elevator pitches and mock interviews, and wish for a successful COOP season. This year marks the first time I’m doing my COOP cycle with lots of nerves and excitement. I have been working with my COOP advisor and attending ...
With two weeks of classes down I was fast approaching my first set of exams. Iām used to the Irish system in which your entire grade rests on your final exams of each semester. Therefore, smaller ābite-sizedā exams or quizzes were a welcome change of pace. That is not to say that I find one ...
Though Dublin is full of an extensive number of museums and places to explore, my weekends are full of touristy trips to other popular cities and towns nearby. Itās been a lot of craic (super fun in Irish :)) In the past five weeks, here is a little snapshot of five of the day trips ...
It’s difficult not to fall in love with Vienna and its clean, relaxed atmosphere as one of Europe’s most beautifully historic cities. I planned my trip to Vienna for late September or early October when it isn’t too chilly to enjoy wandering around the streets and the day isn’t too short. Austria is my #1 ...
By my third week in Philly sunny skies were becoming more and more infrequent and there was definitely an emerging chill in the air. Leaves began to gather on the sidewalks as the first indication of Fall. The tail end of Storm Ian made me feel quite at home funnily enough. Weather this time of ...
Diaduit! Thatās Irish for āhiya!ā š With the one-month mark of my study abroad experience at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) in Dublin, Ireland, I am reflecting on changes I experienced at the start of this study abroad chapter. As expected with a long-term visit to a new place or country, I did experience a culture ...
On February 5, 1824, Samuel Vaughan Merrick and William H. Keating founded The Franklin Institute of the State of Pennsylvania for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts; it opened to the public on January 1, 1934. Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the Franklin Institute. One of the major attractions to Philadelphia ...
Growing up I’ve always looked at the Italian school system with a critical eye, because I knew that, even if it was reputable, there was definitely room for improvement. One of the main reasons I wanted to go study abroad was precisely to experience a new school system, different than what I’ve been used to ...
I usually start my day off with a light breakfast of hot chocolate and some pastry. After going through my emails, planner, and skimming through my class notes, I head out to campus. I have about half of my classes in the CCI (College of Computing and Informatics), which, I believe, is the furthest college ...
Everyone loves food! It gives me the best comfort when I’m stressed. My go-to is always Vietnamese food, but I also want to try new dishes from other cultures. Individually, we grow up eating the food of our cultures. It becomes a part of who each of us is. But on a larger scale, food ...
You’re home scrolling TikToks on your phone when you suddenly receive a notification from your mailing inbox: a new email from your Drexel advisor telling you not to miss the Welcome Week sessions. You ask yourself, “What is Welcome Week?” and you decide to put it in the bucket of things to google later, which ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. Buongiorno! Starting my typical school days off in Rome is usually the same thing every morning. The school I am in places many of their students in a local neighborhood for housing, which means that there ...
Studying abroad in a country thatās literally across the world is, as expected, an adjustment. Coming to Hong Kong, I knew that there would be certain aspects of life that would be difficult to navigate; however, there is definitely a big difference in mentally preparing yourself for a life-changing trip and then actually experiencing it! ...
My second week in Philly marked the beginning of classes. Going into this year I had some concerns about the academic rigor of the US college education system, especially that of Drexel. Not only was I going into a different examination system, that of continuous assessment, but I was also going into a different calendar ...
Learning a new language has never been easy. It has a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to achieve the goal of being fluent like a native speaker. My entire childhood was dedicated to learning English, and it’s been a long journey with ups and downs. There have been times when I’ve wanted to give ...
To start, my name is Conall Gilleran. I am an Irish inbound exchange student studying at Drexel from September until June. I chose Drexel as I have familial connections to Philly and wanted to study on the east coast. Iāve also always enjoyed the Rocky movies. Having flown from Dublin to Boston to DC, I ...
It has been roughly 2 weeks since I landed in the US; one week since arriving in Philadelphia, and a couple of my experiences so far have ushered me into some aspects of the US, or more specifically Philly’s, culture. One thing that I have noticed constantly in Philadelphia is the people. Philadelphia is quite ...
T-shirt, sweater, winter coat, trousers and boots, these were the clothes I decided to wear on the 8th of September, the day I moved to Philadelphia. If you are from Philly, you can probably guess where this is going. Even before leaving the airport I was warned by a security officer that it was going ...
On Monday 9/5, the beginning of my first full week of classes, I was more motivated than ever. I was going to find all my classrooms easily, attend all my lectures on time, and throw myself into my schoolwork. However, at the end of my very first class, the professor gave an unexpected farewell: āSee ...
In the last five weeks of my study abroad trip, one of my courses is Zine Design! If you are not a graphic design student or interested in art you may be thinking ‘What is a Zine?’ A Zine is a self-published print work that is typically produced in small and limited batches. I was ...
As a foodie, going to a different country I couldnāt wait to explore all of the different restaurants and fast foods that I wasnāt able to acquire in the United States. Tibet Kitchen In Elyās Yard of Brick Lane in East London thereās a little square of about 6 food trucks. There are a ton ...
A couple of days after landing in the US after my London study abroad program and I’m reflecting on what a great experience it was. I don’t think I could ever express how life-changing and fulfilling it made me feel! Being able to explore to the extent of studying abroad has allowed me to. I’ve ...
Before arriving in London I wrote about any opinions that came to my mind about the UK before my class focused on learning about its cultural history and context: There are multiple elements that can contribute to an English personās cultural identity. British culture and what it means to be British/English seems to be everchanging ...
While Bremen has plenty of attractions to keep visitors occupied for days, you have many options if you want to venture out of town for a day trip to experience different vibes and it’s so hard to make the decision. Hamburg is famous for its nightlife and cultural diversity. Hannover is renowned for its culture ...
There are many things that I wish I knew before moving to London to study abroad for the summer. A lot of things that you think are self-explanatory may change when youāre actually at your destination. So in this blog, Iām going to explain a couple of things that surprise me and then I wish ...
For my British Life and Visual Media course, we took a trip to the Shakespeare Globe Theater and saw Henry VIII! Seeing this show was a great experience of seeing showcasing British culture. My classmates and I arrived early to make sure we got a good spot. The globe theater is made up of sitting ...
Almost every city and town I’ve visited in London has had a bountiful of vintage shops and vendors. As someone who was very excited to get new clothes while studying abroad, London became my favorite place ever to consume fashion. Prior to living in London, I had a huge interest in vintage clothing and with ...
Najifa Hussain, ā25, is a Management Information Systems major studying at the American University of Rome this Fall 2022. Spending this past week in Rome for the very first time, there are various culture shocks that I have experienced. Even from my very first day here, I could easily tell how different of a place ...
Three weeks down, one to go. Time flew and before I know it, Iāll be back in Philadelphia in no time. Every day in London is both similar and different. Let me take you on a day where there was a good mix of class and after class activities; a mix between similar and different ...
Was studying abroad worth it? Should you study abroad? After going through the application process and finally being able to experience studying abroad was studying in London it to me? And with confidence I can say to me it was 100% worth it. If I didn’t go to London I would not have grown as ...
After spending two months in London and having the pleasure of exploring as much as I can in that time I am going to tell you some of the things you MUST do while you are there. 1. South Bank If it is your first time visiting London, you have to get the tourist spots ...
As I’m sitting in my room, looking out at a gorgeous garden with trees and flowers dancing with the sun in the wind, writing to you, I have been to Bremen for three days. Three days packed with new information. Three days of endless meetings. Three days with happily chaotic. My welcome week, I believe, ...
A typical day at London College of Fashion goes pretty much the same depending on majority of my classes. But due to tube strikes and record breaking heatwaves all throughout London, meant some my class schedule had to be moved around. So while the week to week was pretty much the same, the day to ...
There are so many cities that we can visit near London, that it is nearly impossible to choose where to go first. As someone who doesnāt particularly enjoy hiking for pleasure very often, when Dover was brought up as an option, a light lit up in my mind and I knew I wanted to go ...
I would personally call myself a foodie. I enjoy eating pretty much anything and there arenāt many foods that I dislike. Though there are many dishes that Iāve tried throughout my life, there is an unlimited number of dishes and cuisines that I have yet to try. During my time abroad, I have tried some ...
After living in the US for years now, then moving to Paris for a month and getting used to their culture, to coming to London for yet another month, Iāve noticed particularities that each city/country has. Even within Europe, cultures differ and the culture in Paris is different than the one in London. To start ...
This was the longest I had been away from home. Surprisingly, I was only homesick for maybe one day, but I think my days were so busy between meeting new people, taking classes, exploring new cities, trying new foods that I didnāt have time to think about what I was missing back on-campus. Maybe because ...
At the end of the program, Hanyang had a closing graduation ceremony where we got to put on cap and gowns, see performances from the dance classes, hear speeches from professors, and overall commemorate the last couple of weeks spent together studying. Since I had taken the Korean Traditional Fan Dance class, I missed most ...
Itās really easy to think about all the fun things and activities you will do while youāre abroad. Because of this, a lot of people overlook some of the logistics and details behind getting ready for your study abroad. After speaking with some people, here is a list of things that you should keep in ...
Iāve tried new foods every single day Iāve been here, so itās hard to pinpoint just a couple, but I will try my best! First up is spicy stir-fried octopus – its Korean name is nakji-bokkeum (ėģ§ė³¶ģ). Served with sides (called Banchan) such as Gyeranjjim (Korean Steamed Eggs), rice, bean sprouts and fried beef, spicy ...
The one thing I wish I knew before studying aboard was how hard it was going to be to leave. I did not think it would be this hard for me to leave the friends I have made, the memories and the experiences I have created when I was in London. They prepare the study ...
Because I have been studying in the US for a couple years now, Iām used to the rhythm and pace back at Drexel. I already have an overall idea of how professors work, how they assign homework, how the grade papers, what is overall expected of me inside and outside of the classroom, among other ...
There is an endless list of things to see in Paris, that even a whole month is not nearly enough time to see it all. From museums, to parks, to restaurants, to simple performances on the street, there really is something for everyone to enjoy! 1. One of my favorite places I went to, which ...
Starting around 8am, a typical class day in London for me typically starts off with a coffee or cafĆ© drink of some kind. Iāve always tried my best to make some sort of breakfast, but I usually will just grab a pick me up from my favorite cafes. I usually go to Pret, which is ...
Now that my time in Paris has concluded, I have seen multiple instances where it would make people go āWHAT?!ā. In fact, our school ESCE knew and even acknowledged how weird France can be, to the point where they opened a contest called āWTF: What The France!ā. For it, we could submit pictures of unusual ...
I am attending the program Drexel in England at the London College of Fashion. I am taking 6 classes while I am there for the next 2 months. I have been attending these classes for awhile and while I love all the classes I do have a favorite. One of my favorite class I really ...
Since being in both London and Paris, I have been trying my best to eat as many different foods as I possibly can. I did fail the first couple of days by only getting McDonalds. I couldn’t help it, I work at McDonald’s back at home and needed to try out the menu. The McDonalds ...
For my British Life & Visual Media course, we often take field trips and guided tours to have a better grasp on British culture. For one of our classes sessions, we took a tour of Brick Lane which is a long street located in East London. Since the first time I went there I was ...
Zakiyah Harrison, ā24, is a Graphic Design student studying at the Foundation of International Education in London this Summer 2022 After being for London in two weeks now there are multiple differences in culture that really surprised me! Prior to leaving for this trip, I was extremely excited, I had never been out of the ...
Everyone makes their 21st birthday the most magical thing in the world especially in America. We are officially labeled as an adult. We get to legally drink and buy alcohol. People will literally throw parties, go to clubs, or go to the bar to celebrate their 21st birthday. And I am thankful I did not ...
Learning a new language is never easy. When we are children, we are like sponges, absorbing knowledge all around us. That also happens to include learning the language that we are mostly exposed to, whether that is at home, in school, on the street, through movies, etc. Growing up, I was exposed to different languages, ...
Having been in Paris for a bit over a week now, I realize how different each day is. From days that are jam-packed with activities, to a resting day where the only thing I do after class is nap; everyday varies. That being said, let me take you on a day full of activities! When ...
How have I experienced culture shock since being abroad? I have been in London for almost two weeks now and being here has been a wonderful experience. Everything in London has been so beautiful and I am in awe every time I walk around the city. Being in a new country means experiencing culture shock. ...
First week is already done! It has definitely been a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. I am very glad the quarantine restrictions have been loosened so I didnāt have to waste time in a room by myself in isolation. So far, I have been able to get out to explore a bit, begin my classes, ...
Was it easy studying aboard with a tight financial situation? Getting a better understanding of me will make answering this question easier. Photos taken by my friend Maggie since my phone died. My name is Kiah Thorne. I am 20 year old Design and Merchandising student. I did not grow up with a lot of ...
As a public health major, itās interesting to observe the stark differences in COVID-19 situations between the United States and Singapore, not to mention to live through and actively participate in both countriesā preventative measures. To many Americans, Singaporeās methods may seem a bit over the top, but it suffices to say that I feel ...
(January 2, written retroactively) With tired shoulders and stiff neck, I arrived in Singapore on January 1, ringing in the New Year on the plane. Iām currently writing from my hotel room in the heart of Singaporeās Chinatown, where I served my brief self-isolation while awaiting my on-arrival COVID test results (thankfully, negative!). New Jersey ...
The year 2022 has been a lot of firsts for me when it comes to traveling. This has been the year where I traveled for the first time alone not only to a different state but also out of the country. Here are some tips I have learned to make your solo trip easier when ...
It’s been about two weeks since I’ve flown back to Philadelphia from my 10 weeks in Costa Rica. I had terrible flight anxiety before I left back in January, but on the way back I was much more relaxed. My suitcase was still in Miami when I finally landed in Philadelphia, but luckily the AA ...
This past Friday was my last day in Costa Rica. I had to end my program a bit early, so I did my best to take everything in during my last week. I spent most of my time in the library at the University of Costa Rica campus finishing up my final presentations, and between ...
(December 30, 2021) Although I havenāt yet physically commenced my journey to Singapore, preparing for this trip has been quite the journey in itself. As I lie here in bed at 1AM on Thursday, December 30, the first day of the long 31-hour journey ahead, the reality is beginning to hit me – Iāll be ...
This past weekend, I was able to go to an annual thrifting event named Bombazar. It was essentially like one big pop-up shop for different vendors and thrift stores to set up- everything ranging from clothes, shoes, accessories, to even old radios and keyboards and general antique items could be found! I was on a ...
October 4 Uh-oh, it looks like there is nothing to highlight for this day! October 5 What do you think of when you think of Swabia? (Schwaben) Swabia is located in the southwestern part of Baden-WĆ¼rttemberg, that’s where you’ll find the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) and the Swabian Alb or Jura (SchwƤbische Alb)! Swabian German or ...
September 27 “Do you want to get doner?” Carly asks.“Sure, meet you at Star Dƶner [& Pizza 2] then?” I replied to Carly’s message.“Yep.” Instead of making my own dinner, Carly and I decided to go have some doner (Dƶner). The doner [kebab] is a known dish from Turkey and usually consists of meat from ...
Ā”Buenas! Today marks day 8/90 of my time here in San Jose, Costa Rica. In the last week, I met my host family and settled into our home in Sabanilla, attended the program orientation, visited some of Cartago’s famous (dormant) volcanoes, spent a day in downtown San Jose, and started our courses this past Monday. ...
August 24 āMom, you asked me that seven times already! Of course I have everything!ā I reply and in full stress. I was prepared for the day I finally go to Germany. Iāve always wanted to visit ever since I was in middle school, or what it is sometimes called here, āHauptschule.ā I thought my ...
Yesterday was our first full day out in London. I started the day bright and early walking around South Kensington, and eventually landed at a coffee shop called Guillam coffee house. One thing Iāve been looking forward to in London is the food. The city is full of authentic restaurants, cafes, and pubs. This may ...
When I was still back in the United States thinking about my trip to Italy, one of the things that saddened me most was the fact that I thought that the whole time that I was going to be here, I was going to have to watch everyone eating gelato without me. I was prepared ...
I am the type of person who would want to try out coffee shops and food places at every new place I visit. This is something I absolutely love doing and it’s one of those things which brings me joy. So it shouldnāt be a surprise that I absolutely had to try out the Borough ...
Hong Kong University has many student halls and residential colleges. There are three different villages with different dorm halls. I am living in Jockey Club Student Village III, which is a residential college. A residential college is a living space for students from a university who also participates in community activities. There are four other ...
After finishing all of my in-person midterms for this term in Korea I headed to Busan for a short weekend trip! It was exciting to finally go to a different city in Korea and taking the KTX/bullet train for the first time. I had been looking forward to this trip for a while, especially because ...
It quickly became apparent to me that I was in a city with a such a long history, especially compared to anywhere in America, and it was fascinating to see some very old palaces and general traditional buildings that have been preserved. I took a day to go to Bukchon Hanok village, a 600 year ...
Buenas todos! First, this picture is of Manuel Antonio beach, which is a little more touristy, but still beautiful; I will get into it more a little later. This past weekend, my friends and I finally went to one of the prettiest beaches in all of Costa Rica…Manuel Antonio. Where do I even start? My ...
When I was 12 years old, I came to the U.S. for the first time with my family. We went to a lot of places such as San Francisco and Santa Barbara in California & New York City. My whole life I have known myself as being a person who is not a big fan ...
While early education may have different names across countries, universities are generally referred to by the same name worldwide. However, there are significant differences in teaching methods among universities. As an exchange student from NTU, I’ve noticed some notable distinctions in the teaching approach at Drexel University. One major difference lies in the teaching methods ...
If youāre someone like me who has never been to Disney World, but still is a true Disney fan, it is something you can only dream of. You make it out to be something so very special in your head ā a truly magical place to make you forget about the real world, if even ...
1. Tapas: Known for its variety of options and the social benefits it brings when consumers gather to eat it, tapas is a quintessential part of Spanish culture, so of course a tourist destination like Barcelona is going to have some great tapas locations. Three of the best I either tried, researched or both are ...
Drexel University’s campus was a world away from what I was accustomed to at NTU. The historic architecture and urban setting of Drexel’s campus created a unique blend of charm and energy. The historic buildings, adorned with ivy-covered walls, exuded a sense of history. Walking through the streets surrounding the campus, I was captivated by ...
There are so many transport options you can take to move from one place to another. Be it by driving, taking the bus or train, cycling, or just walking, they all have different benefits and downsides. Driving probably offers the most comfort and privacy but is one of the more pricier options. Taking public transport ...
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