From UoN to UGA...

Howday Y’all!

(If you’re planning on studying in one of the Southern States in America, y’all better get used to saying y’all!)

My name is Amy and I have been studying American and Canadian Studies at Notts Uni for the past 2 years. A theatre fanatic and a confessed chatterbox, I love reading, acting, partying and America! (obviously!)

^This picture was taken on my Birthday 2 weeks ago (which I spent in Georgia). In the picture are some of my new friends, a Brazilian, an Aussie and a lad from Devon. 

These past two years I have been swallowed up by all the American culture that we have studied on the course, and found I was harboring a secret love affair with a country I had never visited. (Well, excluding a Disney Land Florida trip when I was 16 months old, but that barely counts!) I loved the enthusiasm that Americans have, and I was eager to test out the myths of Southern hospitality and their famous fried chicken recipes! I furthermore could not help but be influenced by the fact it’s sunny for most of the year in the southern states!

I understand how far away studying abroad feels when you’re sat in halls of first year, desperately praying you get that 55% acceptance grade! I honestly never thought I would be here! But here I am, sat in my beautiful little dorm room on the 5^th floor, with a view of most of the University of Georgia’s beautiful campus, on yet another sunny evening.

My accommodation at the University of Georgia! ^

My destination choice was easy; I already knew I wanted to study in a southern university, and not just for the reasons I stated earlier. I wanted to do my dissertation on something involving American racism, and where better to approach the subject than in the birthplace of Martin Luther King?

I have been at the University of Georgia for over a month now, having arrived at the end of July to undertake International Orientation Week. And WHAT.A.WEEK! Granted, it isn’t the drunken fresher’s week of UoN, but it is honestly the next best thing! We had a pool party, a beach trip, a ‘cook out’ and I met some Aussies, fellow Englishmen, several Brazilians, a French girl, and a crazy Spanish girl who has turned into my best friend!

^All the International Students!

After the first week, we had a week to move into our permanent accommodation and get used to the campus before classes started the week later. I am now into Week 5 of classes and I have already read five book, done 2 exams and 4 papers. But don’t be disheartened, the papers were only 2 pages long, the exams were ten multiple choice questions and the books were short but really interesting! Indeed, the work load here is really different to what we have at Notts, but in my opinion it is easier and it keeps you on track.

^In this week off we decided to go White Water Rafting!

I have met a lot of Americans in class and I have had some incredible discussions on race in present day America in my two African American Studies and with my roommate. I hope to continue exploring race in present day America throughout the year; I have even joined the NAACP! (National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People)

I am hoping to take a Masters in American Studies and then go onto teach American History in the States. With this dream in mind, I am currently volunteering at a local community centre a short distance from my University to help disadvantaged children. This too has been so rewarding. The children might be a bit of a handful but it is teaching me a lot about American culture.

So, if I have succeeded in persuading you to come to UGA then let me give you a quick lesson in some of the quirky cultural differences… Georgia is a lovely state, and the people are very polite, so do not be surprised to be referred to as Sir or Maam, even by the other students! Also, do not come here expecting to wear cute summery dresses every day, the girls here wear gym shorts, trainers and very long t-shirts, it’s so easy! The meal plan at UGA is also really delicious, but just remember guys… when you ask for chips, you’re going to get crisps, so ask for fries! Oh, and do not be surprised if you become the most popular person in your class, Americans love the English accent! (Even if most of them do think that England and Great Britain are the same thing – that Scotland and Wales are in England!)

Just one more thing before I finish, American college football is HUGE here! So if you come to UGA, you WILL be a ‘dawg’. (yes, spelt that way!) I went to my first football game yesterday afternoon and I could not believe the atmosphere or the amount of effort that went into it! There was a massive band performance, cheerleaders, dancers… you name it! And of course, everyone was painted in red and wearing some sort of Georgia Bulldawgs attire. Granted, the game is very long and confusing, but the 92,000 fellow fans screaming at the top of their voices for four hours make a sweltering day in the sun the best experience of your life!

Me, my roommate and our friend Lucas at the Game \/

I have so much more I would love to share with you but I do not want to bore you. I hope you have enjoyed by short piece on why deciding to study in America has so far been the best decision I have ever made. If you do decide to come here, then persevere with the masses of paper work and ‘adminy’ things you need to get through, I promise you it will be work it!

Two planes and a Sharon Osborne encounter later…

Hi everyone! My name is Victoria Rowley and I’m a law student at the University of Nottingham. At the age of 21 and having completed two years of my LLB law degree, I decided that I wanted to take the big and exciting, step of undertaking a year abroad!

For me, a year abroad is more than just about studying and experiencing a new culture, it is a chance to make friendships with people from all over the globe as well as grow in confidence and independence. Having excitedly gone through the list of year abroad destinations, the University of Connecticut’s Law School in the US jumped out at me as the ideal place to spend two semesters on exchange.

UConn automatically ticked the boxes of a friendly and welcoming law school that offers a variety of different classes. Beyond that, it also offered me the chance to study, in my opinion, in one of the best locations on the globe. Having a base on the East Coast offers the chance to visit the famous destinations of New York (the shopping addict in me was sold!), Boston as well as some of New England’s most historical sites. I felt that for an all-round enriching experience, studying at UConn was the ideal place for me.

 

Not your average plane journey...

I touched down in the States on 12^th August. Despite the journey being fairly long and tiring, it didn’t take long before I got my first experience of American celebrity life! As we prepared to leave the plane, a small figure anxiously waiting by the plane door turned out to be Sharon Osborne! Looking slightly more downbeat than her usual feisty image on TV, I was eager to take a photo and send it back home to make my friends jealous. Unfortunately, as cameras are banned in Newark airport, my photo plan didn't quite work and so the image of Sharon Osborne holding her dog in her handbag exists solely in my memory. Nonetheless, in less than 24 hours, I had already ticked celeb-spotting off my list of things to do whilst in the States before I had even set foot in my new hometown!

The apartment that I share is based in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. For those not familiar with US state ‘nicknames’, Hartford is known as the ‘Constitution State’ as it was the first US state to ratify the US Constitution. Despite Connecticut being home to around 3.6 million people, I immediately felt at home. I quickly learnt that Americans really do love an English accent, and it is has all too often been a conversation starter with many different people. In typical English fashion, I can’t write my first blog post without mentioning the weather. For me, one of the most surprising things about Connecticut is the humidity. I knew that the summers are much warmer than in England but within a  few days of arriving I already felt that my tan was more advance than when I spend two weeks devoted to the sun lounge in my garden back home! The sun did provide the best opportunity to go out and explore the views of Hartford city and the tree-lined streets.

Settling into the US

A few weeks later after my initial arrival, and after an eventful international orientation program, I have now started my law classes and I’ve made friend with a range of international and American students. Outside of classes, I've been to the Hartford boat race, my first American baseball game as well the UConn Community program day, which gave me the chance to do some pro bono activities in the community. I hope that my year abroad will continue to offer up such a wide variety of fun and informative opportunities that will add to my international experience and provide a chance to form relationships with people from all walks of life.

 

                            Holding the Flag at the start of the game       Hartford library for UConn Community Service Day

As for settling in, I have had some amusing experiences when using English phrases in the US. I have had quizzical looks when I refer to a ‘trash can’ as a bin, when I used the phrase ‘I’ll take a read of that’ and I have fairly frequently been told that I speak like the Queen (luckily that I don’t look like her). The US, much to my surprise, also doesn’t really have any squash (think Robinson’s fruit juice). Having drunk a fair gallon of squash during my two years at Nottingham, this is one thing that I have had to adapt to in day to day life!

9 months from now...

 

As I write this at the start of my year abroad, I want to set out what I hope to gain from the coming year. I hope that in 9 months time, having thrown myself into all the opportunities that my year abroad presents, I will be writing this blog telling the next students at Nottingham to take the leap and make the application for a year abroad. I hope to have more than enough photos to show my family and friends at home everything I've done, but more importantly I hope to have enough memories to look back and say that my year abroad was one of the best experiences of my life. So far, I am happy to say that I've enjoyed every minute of my exchange…America you certainly don’t disappoint!

  

 

USA Year Abroad Tip Number #1: Don't visit the US without stopping off at a Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt Shop...it's one of the best discoveries I've ever made!  

 

 

A Northern Gal in a Southern State!

Hey y’all! My name is Vicki Woodward and I am currently in my third year of studying law with American law, having studied my first two years at the University of Nottingham in the UK and now studying my third year at the University of Texas in Austin! I am originally from a small town called Burnley in the north of England but for the past summer I have been living in Florida whilst working at Walt Disney World!

Me and friends in front of the castle in Walt Disney World (my work location!)  

As part of my law degree I had the choice of studying at several different locations all over the world but for me there was only one choice; it had to be the USA! I have loved the states since my first visit in 2008 and have always found the US legal and political systems interesting. I knew even before I was accepted at the University of Nottingham that I wanted to study abroad, it was part of my reason for choosing the university in the first place and let me tell you, it was the most exciting news ever finding out that I would be studying in America for a year!

Having decided that I wanted to study in the US, my first choice of places to study was the University of Texas. I had heard that Austin is an amazing place to live and has a culture quite unlike anywhere else in the world. It’s safe to say that so far Austin has not disappointed! I have been here about three weeks now and so far living and studying here has been a little overwhelming! From the hundreds of food places serving every kind of food you could imagine to the different societies and activities available at UT, people weren’t joking when they said everything is bigger in Texas! I have so many plans and so much to investigate; I have to remind myself to study at the same time.

A view of central campus including the Tower

Within my first three weeks I have already tried to experience as much Austin culture as possible, including exploring the city, eating at some amazing food locations and a quick visit down to San Antonio. But the most cultural thing I have experienced by far is the University of Texas’ first American Football game of the season against New Mexico. I have never seen a football game before so this was a whole new experience for me and it was incredible! I’m not a huge sports fan but the atmosphere in the stadium made it impossible not to be enthusiastic. The whole stadium was completely filled with UT fans wearing burnt orange Longhorn shirts; and just to put it into perspective, the football stadium here is bigger than Wembley Stadium in London, that’s a lot of orange!

 

 

A couple of pictures from the Texas v New Mexico game

 

 

<-- Even the dog was a UT fan!

 

 

 

 

 So that’s my experience so far in the great state of Texas, I could talk forever about the exciting things I have done so far (my first time at a UT societies event and going to see the bats fly from the bridge at South Congress to name a few) and all the things I have planned including a trip to Houston this weekend but I have hopefully managed to keep this brief. I know that this year is going to be an incredible experience, not only do I have the most amazing opportunity to study in a great university but I’m going to experience so much more than that! I hope to be able to visit so many places and do so many different things. I hope to do well in my studies, but the real goal is to make the most out of my year abroad and come home happy that I have seen and done everything I could in the time that I had.

(P.S. In an attempt to be a “true American” We have found and repeatedly visited the local Starbucks: Priorities!)

Caramel frappuccino for me please!

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!  

                                               

  

A Tale of Two Londons

The University College Building, University of Western Ontario

I have been asked to give a lot of introductions in the past five or so days I have spent in Canada so I suppose another one won’t hurt! My name is Neha, I’m studying law at the University of Nottingham and I am currently spending a year abroad in London, Canada at the University of Western Ontario.

When I was leaving Karachi (I am originally from Pakistan) about two years ago, I wasn’t half as nervous as I was when I boarded that flight to Toronto. I knew I had my brothers there to take care of me and London has always been a personal favourite of mine. Over the two years, London became home (as my parents moved with me) and Nottingham... well, a second home.

Five days ago when I arrived in London (the Canadian one!), I felt strange. Maybe, it was the jetlag, or the extremely wide roads that I was quite afraid to cross or the fact that Canadians drive on the right side of the road and I was just too used to looking in the opposite direction or the fact that I just wasn’t used to not knowing my campus inside out like I did in Nottingham. And in case you were wondering... yes, I did happen to get lost and that too, with 51681841651 shopping bags full of groceries in my hands. I did at some point in the two hours that I spent trying to find my way back wonder why I chose to come here.

Western Mascot: The Mustang

But it would be EXTREMELY unfair to say that I haven’t been having an absolute blast these past few days. It really is like living the American dream. The rooms in my hall (oops... ‘rez’ as they call it here) are massive and I would never be able to use the whole closet space if I tried. The Western spirit at the football (yes, Canadian ‘football’) game was unimaginable and I don’t think I have ever cheered as loudly as I did yesterday at the opening ceremony of the frosh week (translation: freshers week). I had really chosen Western Law for its excellent reputation but I could not have imagined that I was making my way into an American movie (literally!). Everything, from how you can chat with strangers on the road for over half an hour to the mustang that galloped around the stadium every time Western scored at the football game, has been amazing.

Bleeding Purple: Taking the Victory Lap

To sum it up, I would really just quote the cashier lady from How I Met Your Mother (season 5 episode 5): 

“American money, didn’t watch the Leaf’s game last night, no please or thank you for the coffee? You sure don’t seem like a Canadian!” 

Robin Sparkles: Canadian Pride

So yes, their plastic money is fascinating, they really do love their football and they are the friendliest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. 

P.S. 'Timmy’s double double' really does beat Starbucks. 

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.

Land of Lincoln

Hi! I'm Katie and I study American and Canadian History, Literature and Culture at Nottingham. Originally from a sleepy village in Somerset, I've traded cows for corn and arrived at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for my third year. 

Late night visit to the U of I sign

I've always been fascinated by the global superpower status of the US, and secretly wondered if it really is like films - so what better way to really find out than go and study there? The University of Illinois is a campus town - its hard to say which sprang from which, but it really is a huge campus and it has a full blown shopping/dining/bar street in the middle of it - the entire town is a self contained work and play hybrid, unlike Nottingham's separate campus - city vibe. 

I've been here now for just over a week, classes started yesterday and I have just set out all my assessments and assignments on a calendar, and I can confirm that I have at least one test (but also often a presentation and paper) due every week until the end of term... I can confirm that I'll be kept busy!  

The overarching, all consuming first thing I've noticed is the heat. Today its meant to be around 35 degrees with 90% humidity - Imagine you're living in a swimming pool changing room, combined with a pre heated oven, and you're somewhere close. I believe this weather is actually unusual, and we're currently on severe weather alert, but used as I am to a bit of rain and a nice breeze, this is all consuming and h.o.t. Campus will be much more fun to walk around when it doesn't feel like you're running a marathon! On the upside however, buses are free and air conditioned, as is the gym and the dining hall... I can't comment on where I'll be spending most time, however.

The cliché goes that Americans love the English accent, and I can confirm this - I don't think I've ever had anyone before just want to hear me talk! There is a language barrier, however, and I can see myself adopting American words just so they understand what I mean when I say 'lift', 'pavement', 'jumper', or ask for 'plasters'. 

This year I'm hoping that I'll be able to really immerse myself in the American experience - the teaching, lessons, and different exams, and try as much as possible to live like a local here, finding the best places to eat, visit and shop. 

During our welcome week here we had an 'Illinois sights and sounds' segment, which took place in the football stadium, and we got to see the marching band, cheerleaders, and learn some of the school chants and traditions. To say it was an eye-opener is a huge understatement - It certainly was like being in a film, and the American girl sitting next to me was amazed when I said all we did at half time of a football match was get some food and wait for it to get started again… The marching band (huge and incredibly good, they even play in formation) came out again at Quad day (freshers fair on steroids)… Its certainly something that I won't get tired of!

Marching band and cheerleaders

 I can't wait to start travelling around the States more - my parents came with my on the way out and we looked at Boston and Chicago, both incredible cities - but I'm already planning a weekend in St Louis and thanksgiving on the East Coast... I'll keep you updated on those! 

While the start of this journey has been somewhat warmer than expected (and will probably be colder when it hits -15 in winter), its something that I've wanted to do since I was 17, and deliberately signed up for when I applied for University, choosing the International study choice. From what I've seen so far, its a decision I won't regret!