This summer, I applied for a six-week academic program at UCLA Summer Session C. During this period, I completed eight credits, including four credits of principles of accounting (ii) and finance. What I have learned most from this academic project is the difference between China and Western countries from various aspects, including study and life.

As for academic study, our relations with the professor are more equal. Professors will pay special attention to the whole class and patiently answer questions from each student. The local students are always active. Although it is only a six-week course, the content is the same as those in one semester. There are many personal and group assignments. Teamwork is also very common.

I wanted to exercise communication skills and joined a group of native English speakers. During the process, you can find everyone involved in this assignment. I also engaged in the whole process and helped to revise our work. Most of all, I really appreciated my team members for helping me polish up my part of the paper. As for the result, I got As in two classes!

During this period, I met a Japanese girl who attended the same class with me and established a profound friendship. We went to Disneyland together. In addition, I went on a three-day trip to San Francisco, the financial center of California, where the city was very busy. There were homeless people along the road and rainbow flags, all of which are part of the culture of San Francisco.

In the fifth week, I was especially homesick. So I made a DIY hotpot with my roommates and took a taxi to the night market near Chinatown to eat BBQ and feel the taste of my hometown. Our American friends tried our hot pot and praised it a lot. Some feelings are the same around the world.

I felt that this exchange was very meaningful to me. This was the first time I went out of the country and went to a strange country alone. I lived alone for a month and a half, but I lived a very fulfilling life every day. On the one hand, I had a very compact academic schedule. On the other hand, many differences in life forced me to quickly respond and adapt to them.

I miss the experience so much. I have been back for one month. Nowadays, I am working on the application for a graduate program. I hope that I can remember these days at UCLA which made my life different!

our Last week, I experienced the Labor Day weekend. Outlets, Disneyland and Night market made my week! I will explain them as follows. On September 1, I went to Disneyland with my Japanese friend Nagisa. We met each other during the Finance  class  this  summer  and  became  good  friends. She is my first foreign friend and I cherish our friendship  a lot!  We  spent  whole  day  in  Disneyland  and  visited  all the  attractions. Moreover, we saw the incredible Fantasy Show  at  night. Disney’s fairy tale characters and plots were mapped to a water fountain. I was totally shocked. Although it was a tiring trip, we enjoyed a lot and got to know each other better. During Labor Day weekend, I went to the Outlets and the 626 Night Market with my roommates. We bought gifts for our parents and friends in China. Due to Labor Day, most of the shops had sales. Girls from anywhere love shopping very much. After such a nice shopping day, we went to the 626 Night Market next to Chinatown. To be honest, we both miss Chinese food very much. This night market was first built by some people from Taiwan. We met lots of foreigners there and enjoyed the delicious food. Photos below! Next week, we will try to DIY Chinese hotpot! I am looking forward to the cooking time! In the meantime, I am fighting for the final exams which will come soon. See you at the next blog post! 

Busy week for midterms! Time flies. I have been at UCLA for three weeks. Half of the summer session has passed, and I experienced my first midterm exam and group assignment. As for the midterm exam in America, what is different is that here we can bring one piece of paper in case we forget the formulas. Fortunately, I got a great score due to my hard work in my Finance class. Moreover, I experienced my first group discussion with local students. They made a reservation in the Young Research Library, where the facilities are quite convenient. Those people are really nice and patient. I am happy to be involved in such an international group. At first, I was a little shy. But with their courage and help, I became more familiar with this pattern and made much progress during this process. I am really appreciative of my group peers and nice professors! Next target is the final! In the meantime, I'm exploring all that Los Angeles has to offer:

Thanks for the help of SAF, I have been in UCLA for two months. Everything in UCLA and Los Angeles is perfect in my mind. To be more specific, I am strongly enamored by the breathtaking view around the city and the study atmosphere on campus. I will definitely recommend the summer experience in UCLA to my friends.

​This is a leaving entry I wrote on my plane back to China, after my summer session at UCLA. There are so many things I want to talk about. In general, this has been a great study abroad experience.

First, classes are really intense. Even it’s just summer session, UCLA requires that you understand what they always teach during normal quarters. Professors all have different habits but they are all concerned about you. They all have multiple office hours. You may go and ask them questions during their office hours. You may also email them your questions even if it’s not their office hours. During classes, you may ask questions as long as there are some things you don’t understand. Professors always clarify them for you. One thing you should know is the syllabus is always the most important for every class. It has all the important information you need and all the important deadlines you need.

Second, life at UCLA is super convenient. Although it’s in summer session, you can also enjoy the fantastic dining service. During normal semesters, UCLA has nine open cafeterias serving food from all over the world. There is also a fantastic gym which is open 24 hours a day during the week. Swimming pools are also available. Housing buildings are also comfortable. There is a study hall in our building, and also a study lounge, on every floor, which is bright and perfect for self study.

Third, U.S. students are welcome and kind. They really helped me a lot during my stay in the United States. Whenever I have questions about classes or exams, they always answer my questions patiently, and give me as many details as possible.

In a word, I’m totally looking forward to going back again!

Classes and quizzes continue as usual. However, we made it to Hammer Museum. It’s such a wonderful museum, showing amazing artwork of the best artists. It’s my first time to see a real Vincent Willem van Gogh painting ever! It’s really mindblowing and beautiful. And the museum’s slogan is “Good for free”. I have to say the museum is totally worthy of those words. Even the walls there are full of art. After Hammer Museum, we had froyo which is really delicious. We also went to an amazing Japanese Ramen restaurant. The Ramen is just so good that I can hardly find any words to describe it, and as usual the service was fantastic. Here is a simple suggestion: Guys, studying abroad is not a joke. Please work hard. There are much more things to do than in China.

Taking an open-note midterm

Last week was kind of a tough week. I had a midterm exam. This was an open note exam -- I never thought we could actually bring notes to a math exam. Although it’s open note, the exam was still hard. It really tests how you understand the course, not only how well you can make calculations. I think the main difference between Chinese university courses and U.S. university courses is that in the United States the professor will provide you with everything they have, and when testing you really need to make sure you understand the course, not only how to calculate. One important thing I learned here is that American students also work really hard. And they don’t work hard for an exam or for their parents -- they just work hard from the bottom of their heart. They love what they are doing.

Exploring LA as Shanghainese sophisticate

I explored LA a little bit: Hollywood, Universal Studios, Griffith Observatory and Beverly Hills. They are really beautiful. The good service and hospitality really impress me. My favorite is Universal Studios, where they built a Harry Potter Wizarding Land. I got myself a wand there, drinking the pumpkin juice, eating the jumping chocolate frog. I truly had a great time. Santa Monica is where I visit the most. It’s quite a cute place. Although it’s not as fancy as Shanghai’s shopping malls, the music covering every corner of the street every night and the passion it has makes you feel as though you just couldn’t love it more.

Attending an American birthday party and lunch with a professor 

This week, I also got invited to a birthday party for my American roommate. That night was fun, and I got to know how U.S.  citizens celebrate their birthday. The most interesting experience I had was with a professor I accidentally met at a Starbucks in Santa Monica. She is going to teach in China, so she needed some help to prepare for her trip. So, I helped to advise her and ease the stress of her confusions and anticipated problems. In order to thank me, she invited to me to UCLA Faculty Center and her house for lunch. UCLA Faculty Center is just so beautiful, quiet and elegant. It’s definitely a pure joy if you can have meals there everyday. Her house is beautiful, and her's is the first American house I have ever visited. Thanks to my roommates’ advice, I brought a carrot cake for the lunch. The Professor was really glad I brought a cake and the cake was also really delicious. I really love my roommates! I hope we can be friends forever.

Arriving in Los Angeles
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I arrived in Los Angeles on August 6, and with the help from SAF, I got to school without any difficulty. I was really impressed by how beautiful UCLA is and how passionate and helpful everybody is. Fortunately, I got two American roommates which really helps me get to know more about American life. They are also really hospitable and kind. I’m also invited to one of my roommate's birthday [party] which will be on August 24.

Zhuofan Zhang
Host: UCLA
Home: East China Normal University
​Major: Physics