I can’t imagine that I have been in California for a month. The day I was in Hong Kong airport feels just like yesterday. The past month could be the most colorful and life-changing experience for me.

I learned how to get around town

I never thought a midterm could be so intense like what I have just been through! The competitiveness here is a burden, but also an opportunity to push you to make progress. The days studying in Moffitt Library have already left a strong impression on me and will be an important memory of my study abroad experience for years to come. Studying at the library until 1 a.m. is something I have never done in my home university, even during finals week.

Thanksgiving is the festival for harvest and being grateful for being blessed in the past year. This is my first Thanksgiving in America. As an exchange student from China, I am really excited about this special festival, because we actually don’t have a special festival for being thankful.

Whether it’s dressing up in fun costumes, eating delicious food, or attending fabulous parades, St. Patrick’s Day has something for everyone. Celebrated on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day honors the patron saint of Ireland. It was originally held as a Roman Catholic feast and was only celebrated in Ireland until Irish immigrants brought the holiday to the United States. Now, it’s more widely recognized as a celebration of Irish culture, but even non-Irish individuals join in the festivities.

Here’s what you can expect and some ways to celebrate:

When the weather doesn’t allow you to go outside, I suggest using online stores and online delivery services. Lots of students have difficulty figuring out what to eat every day. When I didn’t know I could use a food delivery service, thinking about recipes was exhausting. Using a delivery service is very convenient! You can save your energy and it is much quicker and easier to keep track of your spending. Lots of supermarkets offer online delivery services as well.

For delivery food: Uber Eats, Deliveroo, Just Eat

If you’re looking for an excuse to pull a harmless prank—April Fools’ Day is here. The annual celebration on the first of April has been celebrated for centuries and in the United States, it’s as a day of tomfoolery. People pull pranks on friends and family before traditionally yelling “April Fools!”

The origin of the tradition remains a mystery. Nonetheless, the day continues to be celebrated widely and enjoyed as an opportunity to be silly.

What is an April Fools’ prank?

1. Make sure to do your preparations thoroughly and well in advance. In spite of how much fun it sounds, adapting to a new place with its own unique culture in addition to studying or working full-time is a really tough challenge.

2. Stay strong and always remember what your aim is for studying abroad.

3. Make the most of your time abroad and balance your time between academic or professional responsibilities and fun activities.

I did my exchange in UCLA for the fall quarter and what a time it was! I studied two higher level English courses to fulfill my requirements as an English major and took two music history courses (History of Rock and History of Electronic Dance Music) as electives. All of them were so much fun as the professors were very passionate and brought life into each subject, not to mention, these courses aren’t easily available elsewhere.