A Brit Down South - Texas A&M University 2013

Howdy!

My name is Sam Horril. Originally from the murky depths of South London, I'm an English and American Studies undergraduate at the University of Nottingham, and am currently doing my year abroad at Texas A&M University! I'm a self confessed music-geek and Trombonist, so I'm a member of the Universities' musical societies, have dabbled in a bit of radio with URN (a terrifying experience) and have helped out with Musicality, the musical theatre society.

Here's a picture of me at the first Football Game of the season! (the one without the beard...)

I spent a year of my childhood growing up in New York City (not as exotic as it sounds, trust me), and have been fascinated by America ever since. As soon as I realised I could do a year abroad with the University of Nottingham School of American Studies, it seemed natural to apply to study this course at this university. The opportunity to study the politics, literature and culture of America, and of course to be able actually live here again was a hugely exciting prospect in 2010 back at school in Croydon.

Why Texas? It was simple really. Having lived up in New York with my parents a decade ago, I've been lucky enough to have visited more than my fair share of American states over the years, including parts of the Deep South (my parents have always liked to pick edgy holiday destinations). But never Texas. Frankly I only knew a few things about the largest state in the US when applying; I knew it was huge, I knew that they loved American Football and I knew that they had lots of oil. But there's so much more to it than that. According to a BBC news article I read back in May, 5 of the 10 fastest growing cities in the whole of America are in Texas (Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin). Cost of living is pretty cheap with petrol only costing $3.45 a gallon (if only....) and there are lots of jobs down here at the moment (mostly in oil and gas). It's very conservative on the whole, so taxes are low, too. I'll attach the link from the BBC website....

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-22649624

It's pretty hot in Texas.....

I arrived at my halls of residence on the 17th August, and it really reminded me of moving into halls in first year - despite having been at Uni in the UK for 2 years I was still pretty terrified of being in a new place. Luckily the International Student Services here at A&M have been really helpful in helping us all settle in!
I really needn't have worried so much when I first got here though. Everyone is so friendly! It's so nice having people thank me all the time for holding doors open, and being told "ya'll have a good day" by every shop assistant/person I encounter. I can get used to Southern hospitality!

My overwhelming first impression though? It's HOT in Texas. Stepping out of the plane while still acclimatized to the miserable UK weather while jet lagged was a shock to say the least. I thought I'd be used to it by now but I'm still hopeless - it got up to 105 last weekend during a football game and I was literally melting! Seriously the heat here is like nothing I've ever experienced (people I've spoken to reckon its one of the hottest places on earth at the moment). Luckily with America being a very civilized place, literally everywhere/everything is air conditioned, which it really needs to be.

Work, play, football!

Of course the main reason I'm here is to study - I'm doing courses like African American literature, which really is fascinating considering the plight of African Americans in the South. I'm also doing an American Environmental history course, and thought I'd give The History of Texas a go.

With Texas A&M being a big Southern university, Football is a big, big deal. We went to our first game of the season last week which was against Rice, and this was the sight that greeted us when we got to our seats....

Though I don't really get American Football, it's really quite extraordinary to consider the scale of it here. The atmosphere was amazing, and for that reason I'm going to go to a few more! Here's a picture of some of the us from Nottingham - Sian, Me, Dave and George, taking a break from the heat - it was 105 degrees!

Alongside studying and going to football games, I've signed up for a society called Town Hall, which organises and promotes live music performances on campus. It's would to work in marketing and promotions after university and am excited to meet some more Americans with similar interests to my own. I've got my interview on Wednesday - fingers crossed!


Howdy, Gig Em, Aggies Commit.....

There are many aspects of to Texas A&M which are unique. It has it's own Army (the Corps of Cadets, who you have to say "Howdy" to). It has it's own Police Force and Fire Department. The "First Lady" of campus is a dog called Reveille, and she has her own bank card, cell phone, and she goes to class with her Cadet who looks after her. Reportedly, whenever she barks during class, it means she is bored and the class ends. Here's a picture of some of the Nottingham exchange students with Reveille at the International Student conference.....

Texas A&M also has it's own language (well, kind of). Here's a few examples:

"Howdy" - used widely in the South and constantly at A&M (strangers greet you with it when you're walking to classes).

"Aggies" - each student here is an Aggie, and it's the name given to the football team

"Gig Em" - I honestly don't know what this means, but I still say it anyway.


There's so much more to say, but I'm aware I'm droning on a bit. College Station has been great so far, and while there's more than enough to keep us occupied here, I'm looking forward to exploring more of Texas - we have visits to Austin and Houston in the pipeline!

Thanks for taking time to read my first blog entry - I'll leave you with a picture of some of us exchange students from Nottingham outside the A&M campus.

Gig Em!

STUDY ABROAD AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 

NOTTINGHAM

Nottingham works with many partners across the US and welcomes many new study abroad students each semester. We recently welcomed the University of Arizona’s Study Abroad Coordinator Rudo Moyo to our campus (http://www.arizona.edu/) and visitors from Arcadia University (Pennsylvania) Michelle Kasmauskis (Program Manager for England) and Andrew Faas (Regional Programmes Manager in London).

Please do check out our website if you are seeking to Study Abroad at Nottingham:http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/internationalstudents/exchanges/index.aspx

 — withMichael Bissell.

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.