If you have ever used public transportation before, then the public transportation system in Nice will seem familiar. However, if you have never experienced or simply aren’t good at navigating public transport, this guide is just the thing for you.

In so many European cities, one feels the history while walking down the narrow streets, climbing up stone steps - worn by hundreds of years of treading feet, or admiring the architecture that took generations to complete. It’s easy to imagine thousands of women in corsets and bustles and men in coattails and top hats crowded into the parks beneath the Eiffel Tower for the 1889 World’s Fair. After bicycling through Prague, one can imagine the carts and carriages that once rattled down those same steep, cobblestone streets.

"You show the lights that stop me turn to stone/You shine them when I’m alone.” - Ellie Goulding, Lights.

It’s dark. There’s a crowd. The air tastes like Heineken.

All of a sudden, I have five weeks left in Amsterdam.

Let's face it: food is central to everything we do. 

It's a social activity that brings us joy and nourishment, and is often the best way for us to learn about other cultures and traditions. I grew up as an adventurous foodie and have always loved trying different types of cuisines. All kinds of delicious scents wafted through my childhood home, and whether it was Indian or Puerto Rican food for dinner, I always looked forward to trying a new cuisine every couple of days.

Studying abroad can be an extremely rewarding and fun time in one’s life. You are independent and alone across the world, are immersed in a completely different culture, are exposed to many different foods and views, and can make lifelong friends in a short amount of time. Although the first few weeks can be a fun joyride for many, a crash of realization can hit afterward. You are going to be abroad for not a few weeks or a month, BUT you are abroad for an entire semester.

Going into college, I frequently heard college graduates say that they regret not studying abroad. This makes sense when you think about the opportunities that are present when studying abroad. You have an entire semester/3-4 months of your life where you can indulge in a new culture, travel around countries, learn a new language, make international friends, learn in a different educational style, increase your career opportunities, become truly independent, and gain life experience.

I never had much experience with public transportation before London, but I’ve now mastered turning a six-minute walk to the tube into a three-minute walk just to catch the next train. Here is a breakdown of the major types of transportation, a guide to using them, and any suggestions I have. I wish I had something like this before I came to London!

Billy Pilgrim became unstuck in time several times. 

My experience of October 20th-24th was limited to two rectangles: the T.V. and the window to the right of my bed. 

Finals have started at the University of Auckland! I’ve found that here, it is a much more intense period than it is in the US. All finals here are about 50% of the course, some being up to 75% – which I find to be an insane amount of pressure on a two-hour exam. That means while many students might have taken days off to travel during the semester or slacked off a little, things get serious around exam time.