A Day as an Exchange Student

Morning

On Thursday, I only have one class, which is a nice break from my busier days. I get to campus around 9:30 am, grab my iced coffee, and settle into my International Business class at 10 am. Today, we’re covering global markets and trade policies, but my mind is already drifting to our group project for the class. We don’t have quizzes aside from the midterm and final, so this project is a big part of our grade. Class ends a bit early at 11:30 am, and I’m glad to be done early so I can focus on catching up with everyone later.

Late Morning

After class, I head over to the LeBow lounge to meet up with my friends. We set up our laptops and start talking about what we need to get done, but it quickly turns into more of a hangout than a study session. I have an assignment due for Leadership Theory and Practice, one of our bi-weekly papers that focuses on different chapters from On Becoming a Leader. This week, I’m supposed to write about the chapter that breaks down different leadership qualities. It’s not too hard, but before I can get started, we get sidetracked talking about our Halloween plans.

Lunch Break

By 1:30 pm, we’re all starving, so we head over to Food Truck Row. I grab chicken over rice and a Sprite, and we bring our food back to the lounge. We keep tossing around Halloween ideas as we eat. We’ve been debating a group costume for weeks, and this year’s theme is Barbies and Kens. I’m going as Rollerblade Barbie, which means I need to look on Amazon to find one. We’ve got Western Barbie, 80’s Barbie, and a couple of Kens already set. The whole discussion turns into a hilarious brainstorming session, with everyone throwing out ridiculous costume ideas and assigning roles.

Afternoon

After lunch, we decide it’s time to buckle down and get some work done. I spend the next couple of hours working through my Leadership Theory paper, focusing on how leaders need to adapt their styles to suit different team dynamics. It’s not too hard, and I actually like connecting the concepts to real-life situations. We’re all making progress on our own assignments, but there’s still a lot of laughing and talking about the weekend.

Evening

At 6 pm, we head to a campus event called Wingo Bingo because they’re giving out free chicken wings. The place is packed, with everyone showing up for the wings and staying for the bingo. We all get caught up in the game, cheering whenever one of us gets close to winning and joking around between rounds. It’s a great way to chill out and forget about assignments for a bit. The bingo prizes are small, but the vibe is fun, and it turns into more of a mini social event with students hanging out and catching up.

Halloween Night Plans

After Bingo, we aren’t ready to end the night. We’ve been planning to check out Halloween Nights at the Eastern State Penitentiary, so we grab an Uber and head over. The haunted house is famous for being terrifying, and they’ve turned the old prison into a maze of creepy lights, fog, and actors jumping out at every corner. We’re all screaming and laughing as we push each other through the scariest parts. By the end, our voices are hoarse, and the adrenaline is still pumping as we walk out. It’s easily one of the best Halloween nights we’ve had in Philly.

Wrap-Up

After the haunted houses, we decide to head home. The ride back is full of everyone talking about the best parts of the night and hyping up the final details for our Barbie and Ken costumes. Thursdays are the best because they’re busy during the day but always end on a high note, and with no classes on Fridays, there’s no stress about staying out late. Since we all live off-campus in different spots, we share Ubers but end up dropping everyone off separately. By the time we all head back to our places, we’re exhausted but happy. It’s been a long day, but the mix of productivity, friends, and a bit of Halloween fun makes it all worth it. I can’t wait to see how our group costume turns out, it’s going to be hilarious.