By: Judy Lee ‘17

Don’t get me wrong, studying abroad is an immense privilege and every day I am grateful to wake up and experience something new. But I’m not going to pretend like there’s no place like home. There is a big chunk of my life missing from the current picture:

By: Judy Lee ‘17

I’m not going to lie—being abroad in London is already one of the most wonderful experiences of my entire life to date. However, there are things about this place that just isn’t…well, just isn’t USC. Here are several:

By: Judy Lee ‘17

Day trips anywhere are usually tons of fun. However, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement and neglect a lot of small (but important!) details that can make or break your trip. Here are five things you should consider before leaving!

By: Judy Lee ‘17

The London Eye, Big Ben, Tower Bridge—all of them are beautiful. However, there are some places that are breathtaking and require a little more digging. Here are five!

By: Judy Lee ‘17

Being dropped into a strange place is great, I’ve found. It not only gives you an appreciation for something new, but something you may have had along. Studying abroad in London has definitely allowed me to appreciate the states while growing fond of the land beyond the pond. Here are a few things that struck me while I’ve been here this past week:

By: Judy Lee ‘17

Traveling alone is often glorified yet not given the respect it deserves. It is also often not taken as an opportunity. However, in my opinion, it is critical and absolutely necessary for everyone to travel alone at least once. It doesn’t matter whether this entails a trip of 20 minutes or 20 months–only that you have time to be alone with yourself and figure out how you can literally live with yourself.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Before you go abroad this spring, you’re probably feeling nervous and excited, and maybe a little worried about leaving USC and your friends there behind. All of these are completely normal emotions, and as you learned in your Overseas Studies Orientation, there will inevitably times where you feel homesick not only for your family, but for your Trojans and the familiarity and comfort USC has offered you all these semesters.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

During my last few days in Managua, I had the absolute privilege of celebrating La Gritería with my amazing host family, our last hurrah. The holiday was described to us by our program director, Anita, as a mix between Fourth of July, Halloween, and Christmas, so my expectations were obviously high

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

For all those who have studied abroad and those who are welcoming home loved ones who were abroad, it is important to recognize that reverse culture shock is a very real phenomenon; it takes time and patience to readjust to life back in the U.S.

By: Judy Lee ‘17

If you’re studying abroad, you’ve got to be strategic this holiday season! Here are some things you can keep in mind in case someone asks you what you’d like this year:

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

I’m in Matagalpa now which is super cool compared to Managua, both in terms of climate and also just in terms of the general vibes it projects. I’m working on my ISP which stands for Independent Study Project, emphasis on the independent.

By: Samantha Romero ‘16

My daily French diet consisted of at least one if not all of the following: baguettes, croissants, and crepes. Everyday as I would walk to class I made it a ritual to stop by our corner bakery for a croissant au chocolat. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was savoring the freshly baked layers of buttery goodness. Croissants will never taste the same…