Category: Philadelphia

NYC You See…

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 ...

Adjusting to the American Education System

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 ...

This is Real Magic

If you’re 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 – a truly magical place to make you forget about the real world, if even ...

From Dragons to Degrees: Navigating Drexel’s Campus

 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 ...

My weekend trip to Washington DC: A piece of American history

Washington DC is one of those cities that everyone knows due to its amazing and fundamental history – it’s one that I knew I had to experience for myself. Luckily, Philly is conveniently close to a lot of interesting cities and DC is one of those! After a very bumpy bus ride of just about ...

What’s this Jawn?

 Language is something that is really interesting to me, especially spoken languages. Before coming to Drexel, I had assumed that since the college was in the United States (US), there would not be very big differences in the spoken language, since both Singapore and the US both use English. However, this could not be further ...

NBA game: a sports event or just plain entertainment?

My first real American experience occurred on the first day of Spring term when I went to an NBA game with some of the other exchange students. It was Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics, and there was no doubt about who the audience was cheering for. Now, while I don’t care much for basketball – ...

Everything’s Just Peachy in Philly

One of the first few things I realized right before I landed in Philadelphia was how low all the buildings looked from the skies. After landing and walking around Philly, a majority of the buildings here have significantly fewer levels than the high-rise buildings I was used to back in Singapore. Another thing I realized ...

Is it always sunny in Philadelphia?

Packing clothes for a different country is always difficult, especially if it’s somewhere completely foreign to you. For me, it was extremely difficult to pack since I hail from the sunny island of Singapore, located near the equator, where it is summer all year round. I had never stayed in an environment that experienced 4 ...

New place, new me… maybe?

I arrived in Philadelphia a few days before the term started so I could get settled in, and from the second I landed, it felt like I had ended up in one of the many American movies I have watched. My first impression of the city was that it was a lot more diverse than ...