by Virginia O'Connor | Nov 25, 2025 | Personal Growth, UC Santa Cruz
By Brooke McKenna Taylor (UC Santa Cruz), studied abroad in Barcelona, Spain If there is one thing known about me, it is that I love the color green. I love the green found at my home university, in the redwoods, in the seaweed by the seashore, and in the rolling...
by Virginia O'Connor | Sep 19, 2025 | Choosing a Program, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz, UCLA
Contributors: Elina Dern (UC Irvine), Finn Kopczynski (UC Santa Cruz), Amber Rivera-Munoz (UC Los Angeles), Harry Shih (UC San Diego), Sarah Zhang (UC Berkeley), Natalia Hackbarth (UCSD) and London Perelli (UC Berkeley), 2024 blog writing contestants Why would anyone...
by Virginia O'Connor | Aug 25, 2025 | Europe, Personal Growth
By Alyson Lee (UC Berkeley) Every study abroad journey begins with questions. How do I apply for a visa? Where will I live? What should I pack and why must all my liquids fit in a quart-sized bag? But as I discovered during my semester in Madrid, the real...
by Virginia O'Connor | Aug 15, 2025 | Personal Growth, UC Berkeley, UCLA
Contributors: Justine Pendergraft (UC Los Angeles) and Maria Newman (UC Berkeley) 2024 blog writing contestants It turns out all that talk in the UCEAP predeparture orientations about embassies, health care, and emergency numbers—none of which sounds familiar or...
by Virginia O'Connor | Aug 12, 2025 | Health and Wellness, UC Santa Cruz
By Lila Franco (UC Santa Cruz) Growing up, I was always a cautious kid. I recall frequently mentioning that I had never broken a bone throughout my life. I have also always been a very superstitious person, frantically searching for the nearest piece of wood to knock...
