Life in the USA

Beyond the Books

"Whenever I take part in the student activities, I feel like I am not only making friends, but I also feel like I am part of a huge international family here in the U.S.A."

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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: 

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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?

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I Wanted a Pet While Abroad

Anyone who knows me has seen at least 3,000 pictures of my dog, Chloe, and heard me say she is literally the most beautiful shih tzu that has ever lived. I’ve posted pictures of her with the caption “South America’s Next Top Model,” and she’s 50 percent of my Instagram stories when I go back home. I am in the U.S. and I love my dog. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Learning new languages through VR visits

On a Friday morning in November in Houston, Texas, a group of 12 Rice University undergraduates in Jayoung Song’s second-year Korean language class took out their smartphones, opened the YouTube app and fastened their phones to a virtual-reality headset.

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At University of Illinois, The Language of Football is Mandarin

What’s a flea flicker? Ever heard of a quarterback sneak?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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When You Miss Your Country’s Food

I don’t think I realized Ecuadorian food was my favorite kind of food until I went to study in Seattle. I finally understood why people say that the food is one of the main reasons you start to feel homesick. It’s a daily reminder (or hourly, if you snack a lot like me) that you’re not home. 

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A taste of home on campus

Jiaao Xue, a Chinese native studying at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has a special remedy for those inevitable bouts of homesickness. When he’s missing his family’s home-cooked meals, he heads to the Chinese restaurant near campus.

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