The Study Abroad Blog

The Study Abroad Blog’s List of The Ten Best Study Abroad Blogs

Just like it says!

Let’s be real – I’m not the first or only person to blog about studying abroad. The popularity of studying abroad is growing exponentially, and growing along with it is the amount of information available as well as the people who want to share it.  While I hope you can find answers to just about every question you have on The Study Abroad Blog, I know people will still have questions on topics that I have yet to cover, so I’ve put together this list of The Top 10 Study Abroad Blogs You Should Read to compliment what you find on The Study Abroad Blog. The qualifications to get on this list are overall pretty simple, but at the same time extremely important. In order to get on this list, each blog must: Continue reading

The Sites, Sounds, And Smells Of Daily Life In Beijing

I did eventually make it to the other side of the lake

Beijing is a great city. Every time I’m with a group of friends, especially American friends, we all always seem to come to that conclusion. Of course, I’m not really sure why, seeing as Beijing is one of the most out there places I have ever been in my life. It’s a combination of the American wild west circa 1875, modern technology, long-standing (and outdated by U.S. standards) traditions, and just general ridiculousness. And I mean that all in a good way. I actually feel less out of place here than I did in Scotland. Anyway, here’s how life in Beijing has gone over the past week or so.

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My First Full Week Of Chinese Classes

I rocked that same bowl cut when I was his age...and he probably thought we had nothing in common

It looks as though that whole trying to “post on a regular schedule” goal I had isn’t going to work out. I’m going to be too busy, and although I know I sound like a broken record, the slow internet connection makes everything, especially blogging, a bit more difficult.  I also wanted to throw out a small warning that since I’ve been so busy and therefore have tons to write about, the seamless transitions, extensive vocab, and flawless grammar that I’m known for may be lacking as I try to describe everything I’ve done over the course of my first weeks here in Beijing. Now that that’s all out of the way: Week 1 of 16 weeks with no English.

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15 tips that will make your 14 hour flight (or any flight for that matter) less awful

Your temporary 14 hour home

This was supposed to be the first post that I wrote in China. I figured since I hadn’t had the time to go around Beijing and do some crazy, interesting, an possibly illegal stuff to pique your interests, I was going to record what I was doing every hour on the hour during my 14 hour flight and create a mini-survival documentary (take notes Bear Grylls). Long story short, I just bought a new camera and forgot to charge it before I left, so no video. However, I thought I would at least relay some tips on how to survive in a 2 x 3 x 4 transparent jail cell known as a plane seat while literally traveling to the other side of the world.

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My New Life As A Study Abroad Student In Beijing, China

This sign makes sense after being in Beijing for a few days.

I landed in Beijing on Wednesday, and after being here for 4 days, the jet lag is slowly subsiding. If anyone was wondering, I can legit say that a 14 hour flight to Beijing isn’t nearly as bad as you’d think. Everything has been great so far, but it’s definitely been a bit of an adjustment (kind of expected when you go half way around the world). I was ready for some parts, and not so ready for others. Either way, here’s a look at some of the things that influence my daily routine here in China.

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