My Year Abroad in the Land of Freedom and Opportunity

 Hey guys! My name is Ben and I study American and Canadian Literature, History and Culture (International Study) at the University of Nottingham. I'm in my third year and am currently on the study abroad scheme, living in Albany, New York. My roots are back in the UK at a town called Stevenage in Hertfordshire, which is just North of London. Where I hope to be in five years time? Ideally living in New York City with a high earning salary. Realistically I hope to find a job that's both enjoyable and lucrative. I have no clue what that job might be at this point in time. However, I know that my year at Albany will give me the opportunities and experiences needed to make my final career path choice. 

Studying Abroad 

The location I chose was a no brainier for me. At the age of eleven I was fortunate enough to travel to New York City, with my Dad, and experienced the busiest city in the world in all it's glory. From that point on I fell in love with both America and the Big Apple itself.  When I eventually found a course that offered me the opportunity to study abroad in America I had to take it! Not only does it give you a chance to mature as a person and find what you want out of life, but it teaches you how to adapt to a new culture and become more independent. 

As mentioned above, my love for America started at an early age. However since studying American Studies at the University of Nottingham I have come to realise how culturally, politically and historically fascinating America really is. As my course is interdisciplinary it has allowed me to understand and study a diverse range of areas that have vastly changed my opinions of America as a country. There is more to this global superpower than meets the eye! 

New York City Skyline

University at Albany 

I touched down at JFK airport on the 15th of August where the local time was midday. Despite getting no sleep whatsoever on the 8 hour flight over, I was full of energy due to a combination of adrenaline, excitement and expectation. For the first three nights a friend and I stayed in a hostel next to West Central Park which was a reasonable price of $28 a night. Over the three days I saw the Empire State Building, Grand Central Station, The Statue of Liberty, Times Square and various Hollywood film spots. Of course some shopping had to be done on 5th Avenue as well! As anyone who knows me well tell you I'm a BIG GIRL who loves to shop.  

 My transport from New York City to Albany took around two and half hours on the train, where we then got free transportation from the station to my university halls on campus. On arriving at Albany University I immediately noticed the American football stadium. As I started to look around I could see how important sport was for this university. The sports facilities looked incredible and I couldn't wait to buy my first football ticket and take my seat for the start of the season. During orientation week, for international students, I went to a series of activities that settled me into life at Albany. One of these activities was a trip to watch the local baseball team called the Wild Cats. Whilst watching the game and learning the rules it all sunk in. I was going to be experiencing and adapting to American culture for the next 10 months!

The 'British Accent'

Yes, I can confirm that the rumours you've heard about the Americans loving the English accent are all true! I was lucky enough to attend a Frat party during my second week where I was constantly greeted with "Oh my god I love your accent!" It has its pros and cons. For example in my American Foreign Policy lecture my accent was mistaken for that of a Liverpudlian which was great... My flat mates have also commented on my accent and seem to think the British are obsessed with Harry Potter and we've all been drinking since the age of 12. Nevertheless being British at an American University is an immediate ice breaker and works in your favour 99% of the time! 

What I hope to achieve this year?

I hope that over this year I can take advantage of the opportunities Albany has to offer me. I'm going to apply for as many internship programmes as I can and get involved in different sporting societies. For me this year is a once in a life time opportunity so I plan to see a great deal of America, especially the West coast. My mum lived in San Francisco for a year and said it is a must see! It is vitally important that I start gathering sources and information for my dissertation whilst I'm here. At the moment I'm thinking of writing my dissertation on prohibition or American sport. I think this year will have a huge impact on what I want to do as a career. It will enable me to become more independent and will give my CV that extra pizazz. 

If you have read this far thank you for soldiering on and making it to the finish line. I apologise for any grammatical/spelling errors. I was never any good at English, I blame it on my dyslexia!