Host Family Life
First Impressions Within an hour of my arrival in San José, I had been dropped off at a papaya-colored house 75 meters east of the Palí supermarket, which I soon learned was as close to an official address as you…
UT Education Abroad Blog
Inspiring Longhorns to Explore the World
UT Education Abroad Blog
Inspiring Longhorns to Explore the World
Category College of Liberal Arts
Sucking Out All the Marrow of Life: Executive Dysfunction and Adapting to Life in Edinburgh, Scotland
“I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life…
Overcoming Barriers to Study Abroad
Three years ago, I was applying to colleges with the hope of spending a portion of my college career abroad. As a first-generation student, being accepted into my first-choice college was an accomplishment in itself, but as soon as I…
The Language Landscape of Ukraine
I’ll be honest: Ukraine was not my first choice for study abroad programs. I had my heart set on a cross-cultural diplomacy program in Havana, Cuba and St. Petersburg, Russia. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be as COVID happened and…
Ivana Kupala Tradition and the Magic of Studying Abroad in Ukraine
When we last met, I was in dire straits: doubting myself, wanting nothing more than to return home to the U.S., and confronting a few unsavory aspects of my mental health. I’m elated to report that for the past two…
Managing Expectations and Traveling with Anxiety
When I exit Boryspil Airport, setting off to my home for the next seven weeks, it is 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The heatwave in Kyiv should end in the coming days, but until then, the city boils. On the drive to…
My Last Month in Shanghai
I can’t believe my exchange journey has come to an end. June had arrived before I noticed. Looking back on my four months in Shanghai, happiness and satisfaction are two words that can best sum it up. As at UT,…
May in Shanghai
Unlike my relatively relaxed intensity of study before, I am beginning to feel the pressure in May. My final exams begin in June, and papers and presentations are due in May before them. Thus, May is one of the busy…
Busy in Bustling Shanghai
I have never felt time flying by so fast — one month passed by in the blink of an eye. If I had to choose one word to describe my life this month, I would say “happiness.” Fudan University’s club…