Life in the USA

Having A Studious Roommate May Raise Your Grades

“Choose your friends wisely” may not only be good parental advice, but also a way to do better in college, a research study finds.

Read more

Better to Study Alone or in a Group?

It’s a long-debated topic: Is group studying more effective than studying alone?

We’ve all experienced getting together with classmates to study for an upcoming exam and spending the entire time gossiping, talking or joking around. You leave the group without accomplishing anything to get you ready for your exam.

Read more

To Eat and Run: What is American Food?

People who come to the United States for the first time think that fast-food defines American food. However, fast-food is only part of American food culture.

Read more

Cash or Credit? Credit Card Culture in the USA

Regardless of your background, it’s important to learn how credit works in the United States so that you can use it responsibly while studying abroad.

Read more

Jane Sun Travel From Student to CEO

China’s Great Wall. Australia’s remote Outback. Italy’s ancient ruins. 

From her perch atop the global travel industry, Jane Sun, CEO of CTrip, Asia’s largest online travel agency, connects people with the best destinations the world has to offer. She even quotes Confucius when explaining how cultural experiences can bridge divides, strengthen industries and create peace.

Read more

Arren Romeril, from Ontario, Canada, is studying Business Administration at Maryville University in St. Louis, Missouri.

I decided to study in the USA because of the wide variety of business jobs and careers. I had the opportunity to play college hockey and I wanted to take advantage of the amazing academic system that there is here in the USA. 

Read more

Tips to Make Your Space Eco-Friendly

Making your apartment feel like home is more than getting all your clothes in your closet. If sustainability is important to you, making your new home more eco-friendly is an easy way to make you feel at ease in your space. Setting up an apartment that reduces your carbon footprint is easier than you might think! Get started with these tips as you make your space a little greener: 

Read more

How to Stay Motivated Through the Semester

Many students make promises to themselves that they hope to keep. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution to practice healthier habits or good intentions at the beginning of the semester to get straight A’s in your classes, a fresh start can happen any time you set your mind to it. Use these tips to help you organize your thoughts and stay motivated to reach your goals.

Read more

The Pros and Cons of Living Alone

It’s not that uncommon to live alone as an international student. A lot of my friends were able to get great deals by leasing apartments for four years, so they could have their own place for their whole time abroad. I realized that deep down we were both a little jealous of each other’s experience. Doesn’t living alone get lonely? Doesn’t having roommates get exhausting?

Read more

Helena Brandileone from Brazil: Studying English in the Loyola University Loyola Intensive English Program

Helena Brandileone from Brazil holds a degree in Civil Engineering and is studying English in the Loyola University Loyola Intensive English Program (LIEP) in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Read more

Networking as an International Student

Everyone says that getting a job, finding new opportunities, and growing professionally is all about “networking.” But, what exactly does that mean for us as international students?

Read more

Staying Healthy in the Winter

As someone who was a complete mess the first two years of college, I can tell you from experience that winter is the worst time to get sick. Most likely though, that’s when your first time being sick by yourself would happen, and nothing makes you more homesick than feeling weak and wanting your parents to call the doctor for you.

Read more

Tatiana from Russia: Studies English at ELS Language Centers, New York-Manhattan

English is an international language, and I think everybody needs to understand what a lot of people in the world speak. I want to improve my level of English, and then I can study another language. It’s interesting to understand people from another country, another culture, and to see a lot of new places and try to understand information.

Read more

A Guide to Holiday Traditions in the U.S.

In the U.S., we refer to the months of November and December as “the holiday season” because of the major holidays celebrated from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.  The United States is a nation of many cultures that has adopted holiday customs from across the world, and we’ve developed a few of our own that stand out. Here’s a handy guide to those traditions for international students in the U.S.

Read more

The Dorm Life-Roommate Diaries

Ah... roommates. Whether you chose your roommate or not, whether they are already your friend or you were set up together by the housing office, if you are going to be sharing a living space with someone, you truly don't know how that will end up until you experience it.

Read more

Books to Heal Your Stressed Student Heart

Some may argue that this is not realistic, that there’s no time, but if you want to stay sane as a college student, you have to find ways to de-stress. It’s all about priorities, so make sure that your own mental health is on the list if it’s not the first thing.

Read more

How to Host an American Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a fun way to gather your friends and try a classic American tradition for yourself. Invite one or two close friends to cook with you and share the joy of making your dinner together or watching American football after your Thanksgiving meal. No matter how traditional your Thanksgiving Day is, these tips can help you host a successful gathering of your friends and celebrate the holiday.

Read more

30 Minutes in the Melting Pot of the University of Kentucky

I walk past the University of Kentucky bookstore and on towards the social staircase of the student center. The student center has new things waiting for us UK students each day.

Read more

University of Kentucky Senior Comes to U.S. Knowing No English, Four Years Later Will Attend Harvard

Esias Bedingar always knew he wanted to study medicine. After deciding he wanted to experience a new culture in an English-speaking country, he came to University of Kentucky to pursue this dream. There was one challenge that Bedingar knew he had to overcome: he spoke no English.

Read more

Post-Graduation Crisis in the U.S.

I went home recently, after graduation, to renew my F1 visa. Talking to some high school friends I hadn’t seen in months or even years since we were all studying in different parts of the world, I realized that we all shared a pattern. We’d all changed while abroad. We’d all realized the world is simultaneously big and small, and friendships across the world are real and precious. We’d grown up, but we also all had the same question...

What do we do now?

Read more