The Brits have landed.... at the State University of New York, Albany.

Hi there, my name is John and I study American and Canadian Studies (with International Study) at the University of Nottingham. I am originally from a small town by the name of Baldock in Hertfordshire. Upon graduation I aim to work for the British Foreign Office and utilise many of the skills I have learnt throughout my four year degree program in this field of work. I have just begun my year abroad at the State University of New York in the city of Albany.

A fundamental reason for my degree choice was based on the fact that I could take a full year out in the States at one of the many Universities the University of Nottingham is in partnership with. From an early age I have had a fascination with the U.S for reasons I still have yet to fully understand- it might have something to do with my obsession with Kenan and Kel and Friends when I was younger, who knows! Furthermore, in an ever more difficult job market, a full year abroad across the pond is an excellent CV booster.

I chose SUNY at Albany as my most desired destination for the year abroad before classes had even begun in my Freshers year at Nottingham. Having decided on my degree choice I set about researching which UK university had the best variety of U.S universities on offer and it was definitely Nottingham. I then researched the Universities they are twinned with but was instantly drawn to the State University of New York (most likely because of the words "New York"). The University at Albany is actually situated about two and a half to three hours outside of New York City but is about the same distance to Boston as well as Canada so geographically it is in an ideal place for weekend trips and travels outside of term time.

I arrived in the United States exactly two weeks ago, on Thursday the 15th of August- three days ahead of my scheduled arrival date at Albany. A positive about the expensive and drawn out J-1 visa process for in-bound UK study abroad students is that it lets you in to the country a full month before your scheduled start date at University so if you wish you can do a bit of sightseeing and travels before you start class. I flew with a friend from Nottingham and we spent three nights in New York doing the standard tourist stuff such as walking Brooklyn Bridge, shopping on 5th Avenue, walking Central Park and eating a lot of very unhealthy foods- the portion sizes are ridiculous!

 

We departed New York by train early Sunday morning and arrived in Albany around 11am. The University had arranged for us to be picked up and dropped at our halls of residence free of charge which was very helpful considering the early start we had and the amount of luggage we had brought with us. The first week was an orientation week for international students which at times was long-winded but no doubt needed and at times very useful and informative. It culminated with a trip to a local baseball match which was a new experience for many of the ten University of Nottingham students that are attending SUNY at Albany this year.

By the weekend the American students had moved in as well and the campus had become a thriving area full of people. The campus is much like Nottingham in size but very different in appearance. Nonetheless, as I was informed by a taxi driver in New York City, it is a very good University with a revered reputation and after a week of classes I can confirm that the teaching standard is excellent.

One cultural difference that could be of instant shock to many UK students is that the majority of Halls of Residence, at SUNY Albany at least, are shared rooms. I was at first a little apprehensive about this but so far so good- my room mate seems a very sound guy and we get a long well. Another subtle change UK students may need adjusting to is that the lectures are very student involved- that is to say students openly question the lecturer for clarification or simply disagree with what is being said.

A question I hear at least twice a day is "You have an accent, are you British?" It would appear that AMERICANS LOVE THE BRITISH ACCENT. In one instance someone just asked me to talk until they said stop just so they could hear it! The differences in how we speak the English language is quite interesting and I've already had to change some of the words I say in England simply because they mean completely different things to Americans. My flatmates found this hilarious.

I have a few goals for this year. One is to get involved in one of the many internships that SUNY Albany have to offer. Albany is the State Capital of New York so the city has all the State Government buildings and the University has very good opportunities to work at some level within the State Government. Furthermore, as plan to see as much of the U.S as I can whilst here. I consider the year abroad a once in a lifetime opportunity and as such, I do not plan on returning home until I have to. I plan to spend New Year in New York City and get down to the Deep South to explore some of the history down there, as well as begin and complete much of my dissertation research for my return to Nottingham in my fourth year.