when applying for schools in the US, many people believe that schools with a few students would not be as good as those with 1000 to 2000 students. this assumption, though, is not always true. people usually picture schools in the United States with the same idea, which comes from movies and TV shows. we imagine many different parties, sororities, fraternities, enormous classrooms, and so on, and everything seems so unreal and magical. well, most of what we see is real, but it is definitely not as dramatic as pictured in movies. it is definitely different if, just like me, you decide to attend ..read more

it is not uncommon that almost everyone nowadays possesses a smartphone, laptop, or any other electronic device, particularly in the middle of this pandemic time when we have to shift everything remotely if possible. as an American student, i’m not sure about other states, but in California, even when the situation is getting better, a lot of assignments are still online. this online learning habit has forced us to spend a great amount of time on screen. yup, i know it’s tough. i feel you and we are all in this together. moreover, besides using your electronic devices for classes, i’m pretty s ..read more

back in my home country, Vietnam, i never had any new year’s resolution. this is not because i’m lazy or anything but it’s just not one of our traditions and i think it’s the same thing for most asian countries too. as i celebrate new year in the US, i realize that new year’s resolution is a special long-standing tradition not only in the US, but also in several other western countries. the idea is that the new year brings new opportunities for self-improvement. this could mean any range of things from trying to eat healthier to mastering a new hobby. whatever your personal goal, the first day ..read more

it’s the holiday season again... here in the US, you can feel the festivity in the air, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. several western countries celebrate holidays during wintertime, but i don’t think asian countries do; instead, many asian cultures celebrate Lunar New Year. however, as soon as i came to the US, i would say winter is the best time of the year when we have a lot of gifts from friends and relatives during Christmas and feel excited for a new year. Christmas may be a Christian occasion but it has been such an indispensable portion of American culture for so long that indeed indiv ..read more

in this modern world, it is trendy to be brave, decisive, popular, have a lot of friends, and feel comfortable in the spotlight or simply be known as an extrovert. however, this world should not overlook introverts who are actually not the minority of our population. while people are spinning around for the highest position or the center of attention, introverts observe and develop the most in-depth perspectives about the world in their own quiet and calm environments. the definition of introvert itself is way more complex and powerful than what we think. my experience as a boarding student in ..read more

it has been almost one year since the covid19 hit the world and we are still quarantined. The pandemic has yielded plenty of problems - thousands of people are unemployed, many international students could not return to their home countries and most importantly, more than 1 million people lost their lives ... this would have a great mental impact on our life, especially as a teenager when you have many things to worry about in school like GPA, college application, and standardized tests. schooling could be different for each area, depending on the rate of covid19 cases. not all schools will r ..read more

be an international student? meaning i have to move to study abroad? meaning i can’t see my friends and family? meaning i have to make new friends? well, something with which i myself often struggling is making new friends. i believe not only international students but also domestic students might find this challenging.  that mixed feeling of excitement and nervousness came to me when i first moved to my new school. by the way, i don’t have any relatives who can take care of me so i applied for the boarding program which means that i get to stay in the dorm with students from many differ ..read more

you might consider what would international students do when they are unable to fly back to their home countries during this covid19 pandemic. well, they could do several things to keep them entertained from the boredom of sheltering in place all day long. and so below is what i’m interested in doing when i was stuck in the US. let’s do it together guys! today we will be making a very interesting abstract model from a very common material - cardboard. first, you will need a piece of cardboard and scissors or something to cut. besides, if you want to decorate your model, you would need some cr ..read more

i never saw myself an artistic person as a kid, maybe because i didn’t have a good impression of art. my parents always encouraged me to express myself creatively through the arts so they forced me to attend organ (a musical instrument) classes and painting classes which i never enjoyed. however, as soon as i quit those classes, i always found myself drawing, painting or helping my brother with his art homework. besides, i also spent time writing journals or poems, sewing, playing legos and solving rubik cubes. until now, i still do these activities during my free time. why? simply because the ..read more

studying abroad could be one of the most exciting phases in your life with the perfect opportunity to travel, meet new friends, and learn a new language. however, amongst many other things, moving to another country isn’t an easy transition. schooling is never easy, especially when you have to study in another country rather than your homeland. despite several valuable experiences, international students have to face several hardships when they first arrive in the new environment. in this post, i will discuss a few unavoidable problems from my experience, including cultural differences, langu ..read more