Today's NYT Strands puzzle theme is centered around American universities, making it particularly challenging for players outside the United States. To assist with Strands #134, hints and clues have been compiled, culminating in the official theme of "Give it the ol' college try". Helpful words such as WEEK, WORK, RIVERS, and TONES have been provided, leading up to the answer: UNIVERSITIES. The puzzle features universities like DUKE, BROWN, TEMPLE, NORTHWESTERN, RICE, and TUFTS. For those struggling with the American-centric theme, the article offers a personal account of navigating the puzzle as a UK-educated individual unfamiliar with many US universities. This highlights the difficulty of Strands when the subject matter is not within one's knowledge base. Ultimately, the challenge reinforces the importance of being well-versed in the theme to succeed in solving the puzzle.