Anqi Mao is an exchange student studying at Temple University in Philadelphia for one semester. Currently, she is enrolled in five courses within the Fox School of Business and Management: Fundamentals of International Business, Global Strategy Management, Principles of Accounting, Human Resources on the Ground, and Piano. She studies philosophy and economics at her home institution, Xiamen University.

"Internationally, Temple University is well-known for its business school and after just a few weeks of classes, I understand its rankings are high because of the outstanding curriculum and faculty," says Anqi. "One of my priorities in the coming weeks is to find more American friends to practice my English with because I can already tell my listening and speaking skills are significantly improving in class each day."

"Philadelphia is in a great location," says Anqi, "it’s close to other big cities like New York City and Boston, so I can travel around and see everything while I’m here." Philadelphia is 1.5 hours from NYC and 6 hours from Boston. Anqi also notes, "The history of America is embedded throughout Philadelphia, so to say I have lived here is really neat." Anqi currently lives in "The Edge," an apartment complex on Temple’s main campus.

Several universities are located in Philadelphia, including University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University, so the Philadelphia area is a popular destination for a variety of students. The weekly events, festivals, and social activities available through all the universities make it easy for people to get involved and develop long-lasting friendships.

"The best way to learn about America is to become friends with Americans," she advises. "I talk to Americans all the time—they are interesting, friendly, and great cooks! By joining in conversations with local students, I learn about other ways to further my education, opportunities to travel, and different student organizations to join."

"The classroom environment in the United States is slightly different from in China. At Xiamen University there is less homework and more emphasis on studying for exams which constitute your entire grade. At Temple University, homework is expected to be turned in every week and each assignment factors into your final grade. I also notice Temple professors tend to use a lot of examples from the real business world when they teach," observes Anqi.

Once she graduates, Anqi plans on gaining some work experience at a bank, or maybe an accounting or consulting firm in China. After a few years of employment, she is considering applying for a master’s degree in business administration.