The first semester is already over. Time flies when you are on a new adventure. The good thing about California is that the sun is still shining and temperatures are very nice. During this first semester and my first five months as a student in the United States I had the opportunity to learn so many new things. The different courses I took in my program were extremely enriching. In my Urban Design Studies I got to meet so many new people from the field with very fascinating views and knowledge. I am very grateful I get to learn from the best.
Besides University I also got the chance to participate in Fulbright activities in San Francisco. It was very rewarding to meet other people from all over the world with the same goals and intentions. In Berkeley I still meet up with the friends I made during the Gateway week in Chicago. The Gateway gave me the opportunity to already have a network of friends and connections before I even got to start my studies.
Of course I am studying in the U.S. to experience the American way of life. What easier way to do this than to go to College Football games. I had the chance to see the UC Berkeley Cal Bears play UCLA successfully and the rival Stanford a little less successfully. I also got the opportunity to go to an NBA game. I saw a basketball match between the Golden State Warriors and the LA Lakers. We had so much fun.
The holidays are coming, Christmas trees start to appear everywhere and even in California ice-skating is a thing for Christmas even though the temperatures do not feel very christmassy.
I am very much looking forward to the next semester and all the adventures that have yet to come.
— Catherine Schiltz
2016-2017 Luxembourg Fulbright grantee at UC Berkeley