Tag Archives: Gamecocks

10 lifestyle habits I’ve picked up while studying abroad in the US

18 Jul

This blog has also been featured on The Guardian’s Blogging Students website, and can be found here: http://www.theguardian.com/education/mortarboard/2014/jul/17/10-american-habits-studying-abroad-students

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My blog on The Guardian website

As university friends studying business, finance and law started gaining seriously impressive internships and ‘year in industry’ placements in September 2012, I decided that, as an English and History student, there had to be some way to boost my CV and become more employable.

I shopped around, scanning the university website for opportunities to fit the bill. Four months later I’d completed my application to study abroad in the states, and it turned out to be the best decision of my life.

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A dozen chicken wings, listed on the menu as a ‘starter’

So for the past year I’ve abandoned my familiar Leeds student lifestyle for an exchange year at the University of South Carolina. I swapped nightclubs for frat parties, my small student house for American dorms, Yorkshire Tea for sweet tea, fish and chips for Southern fried chicken and afternoons at the pub for afternoons on a sun lounger at the outdoor pool.

Many of my study abroad friends who ventured to foreign language countries were sceptical about the degree to which social customs would be different in America. But from the moment I touched down in Columbia, South Carolina, I knew I had an eye-opening adventure ahead of me.

Here are ten lifestyle habits that I’ve picked up since being on exchange in the Appalachian South:

Tipping

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Eating out with friends in San Francisco’s Little Italy

In the US, service staff members earn their keep largely through tips, so visiting a restaurant or bar without leaving a tip is considered hugely disrespectful. Thanks to this American social custom, I’ve returned to the UK much more willing to give away those extra few pounds at the end of my meal.

Using weekends to travel

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Rockclimbing in Alabama

With America’s endless travelling opportunities just waiting to be explored, I used the weekdays to study hard, and the weekends to pack my bags and tick some more states off my to-see list.

Being OK with driving insanely long hours

When I did pack my bags for the weekend, I had to mentally prepare myself for the long car journey ahead. As Americans don’t have the same level of public transport resources as British students do, they’re much more accustomed to driving long hours across the interstate to get to where they want to be.

Planning my social life around sports games

Watching Clowney and the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice stadium

If ever I didn’t travel at the weekend, I’d be watching live sports. The university football team played in a stadium just short of Wembley’s capacity, and with free tickets for students, the weekly dose of American football was considered an unmissable social event.

Choosing comfort over style

A classic day-to-day choice

The go-to daily attire in the intense South Carolinian heat and humidity was a nonchalant Nike Shorts (‘Norts’) and baggy t-shirt combination. It was also immediately apparent that checked shirts (or ‘flannel shirts’) are readily accepted at any social occasion. If in doubt, flannel out.

Embracing team spirit

Cuddles with Cocky

When I first arrived in the US I felt a typical British reluctance towards American patriotism and team spirit. By the end of my year I’d become swept away in the fun, sporting team colours to classes and queuing for photos with the university mascot.

Expressing happiness with the word ‘blessed’

Perhaps it was because I studied in the Bible belt, or because Americans embrace upbeatisms more readily than we Brits do, but I heard locals express happiness with the word ‘blessed’ on a daily basis. I even saw a car license plate that read ‘Bless3d’. Since returning to England I’ve caught myself using the word on several occasions.

Solving any remotely difficult situation by grabbing frozen yoghurt

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Fro-yo

Forget grabbing a coffee or putting the kettle on as ways to unwind at the end of the day. The nearest frozen yoghurt café was a regular haunt for students looking for a midweek treat.

Speaking up in lectures

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English classes at USC

As class participation often counts for large percentages of final grades in American institutions, over the past year I’ve become a lot more vocal about my thoughts during classes. I’m looking forward to seeing how my renewed, Americanised verbal skills will fit back in to British lectures and seminars in my final year.

Going with the flow

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Halfway through the 8-hour Bright Angel Trail, grand Canyon, AZ

This probably says more about the overall experience of being an international exchange student rather than American social customs, but since studying abroad in America I’ve become a pro at going with the flow. The study abroad experience can be pretty unpredictable at times, so rather than worrying about trying to have a plan for everything, my new favourite phrase is ‘Let’s play it by ear’.

Tags: , , British, , Cocky, driving, , , , , , , study abroad, tipping, ,

Top ten things international students must see and do at the University of South Carolina

20 Jun

Having recently returned from my year abroad at the University of South Carolina, I’ve been reflecting upon all the things that made it such a mind-blowing year. There are ten particular things I’m so grateful I did while I was in SC, and they are the experiences that are unique to South Carolina, to Columbia, and to having the unimaginable privilege of being a student at USC. Without further introduction…let’s go cocks. 1391996_10153385843110113_499614180_n

10) Scarowinds

When Halloween came around in October, I was pretty psyched for an all-American scare-fest. I assumed that I’d probably end up going to a stereotypical house party in a half-impressive fancy dress costume, just like the movies. Instead, I ventured out to ‘Carowinds’, the gargantuan amusement park on the border between North and South Carolina. Every Halloween, the park gets radically transformed into ‘Scarowinds’, complete with bone-chilling haunted houses and zombies crawling all over the grounds. It was the perfect way to get out of Columbia and do something different for Halloween while embracing the all-American passion for the 31st.

9) Go to a party in a pick-up truck

Unlike England, where pick-up trucks are as common as a Clemson fan in Russell House, in SC you can ride in the back of a pick-up truck as long as you’re 15 years old. The first time I did, I giggled so much I may as well have been 15. The wind was rushing through my hair, the stars were out and I remember thinking- ‘How have I got here?’ Having such a crazy, outlandish and quintessentially Southern experience made me realise how distant the cultural norms of England were from my new Appalachian adventure. Image

8) See some live music at the Red Door Tavern

Red Door Tavern is cosy bar and live music venue just across the river, a short drive away from campus. Many upcoming singers, songwriters, rappers, comedians and musicians play at the venue that you can enjoy for a small cover charge. It’s the perfect way to let off steam in the evening and a great alternative to another night in Five Points, if you’re just not feeling up to those $5 fishbowls.

7) Thrift shopping

The Summer that I packed for my study abroad year was the summer that Macklemore’s ‘Thrift Shop’ was blasting on radio stations everywhere. After hearing all about the $1 bargains awaiting my beady eyes across the ocean, I arrived and was far from disappointed. There are 2-3 Goodwill stores in Columbia, as well as a number of ‘His House’ stores for those of you that are willing to undergo a more challenging- and rewarding- hunt for those vintage steals.Image

6) Go to the South Carolina State Fair

The South Carolina State Fair rocks up to the grounds outside Williams-Brice stadium for ten days every October. It hosts a feast of local delights, from fairground rides and stalls to zoo animals and deep-fried cookie dough. Just one month into your study abroad experience, it’s the ideal way to get your new group of friends together and do something different. ImageImage

5) Sorority bid day

Sorority bid day, colloquially known as ‘the running of the pigs’, is the ceremonious occasion whereby female students at USC find out if they’ve been accepted to their chosen sorority. As sorority life is mostly particular to the states, and larger than life itself in the South, the grandiose events of bid day are a must-see for exchange students freshly exposed to the phenomenon. Image

Image4) Visit a plantation

Coming to South Carolina without seeing an old slave plantation would be like going to Washington DC without seeing the Whitehouse. Plantation grounds are an enormous part of the state’s dark history of confederacy, slavery and civil war. I went to Drayton Hall and learned much about the mansion’s egregious past, as well as spotting some turtles, herons, crabs, frogs and eagles in the luscious grounds. ImageImage

3) Outdoor Rec

Outdoor Recreation, affectionately known around USC as ‘ORec’, provides USC students with the opportunity to rent camping and sports equipment and go on adventure trips with qualified and experienced trip leaders. It’s a great way to see your host country and it’s dirt-cheap. I went on a five-day Outdoor Rec trip over Fall Break and it cost me $100 (£58)- everything included. It’s thanks to ORec that I canoed down the Congaree river, learned how to rock-climb in Alabama, bouldered my way across South Carolina’s stunning rock faces, petted wild ponies in Virginia’s Grayson Highlands and tried my first helping of s’mores under the Georgia stars. 1236936_10153741684220113_1446741469_n10175018_10154024952715113_6196283812416330653_n

2) Visit Charleston

If you ever need a weekend away from campus, go to Charleston. A mix between Hellenic architecture, swing-seat Southern antiquity and golden sunshine, Charleston makes for the perfect sightseeing blend. It is packed full of museums and historic houses, battleground sights, quaint restaurants and cafes, luscious beaches, palm trees, horse-drawn carriages, ghost tours, market stalls, fresh seafood, a fantastic choice of shops and more vintage bikes than you’ve ever seen before. With so much to see and do, you’ll be planning your next trip out there before you’ve even left. 1277923_10151755043913897_425280298_o

1) Watch the Gamecocks at Williams-Brice stadium

American football. It occupies a huge space in the hearts of many Americans. But in the hearts of Southern Americans? That’s a different kind of love altogether. Watching the Gamecocks play at Williams-Brice, a stadium boasting a seating capacity of 80,250, blew my mind time and time again. The entire spectacle is a grandiose expression of American team spirit and South Carolinian pride, through cheerleading displays, brass band performances, crowd chants, video montages and firework displays after every touchdown. Whatever you make of American football, the extravagant nature of the entire event renders a visit to the Gamecock’s nest truly unmissable. 1267851_10153197620035113_1460927503_o

 

Tags: alabama, , bid day, bouldering, Charleston, , England, experience, , , georgia, , , plantation, rock-climbing, , south, state fair, , study abroad, thrift shopping, , university of South Carolina, , virginia, williams-brice

The top ten things I’ll miss about studying abroad at USC

5 May

As I slumped down onto my hotel bed at midnight on the 13th August last year, I felt overwhelmed, alone and terrified. The first sights I’d seen of America had been the anonymous insides of Washington Dulles airport and a couple of fast food outlets along the motorway.

That week, I wrote a blog post called, ‘My top ten culture shocks from moving to South Carolina.’ As I discovered America’s social, cultural and political treasures one by one, I narrowed down the ten most outlandish shocks I’d encountered during my first week in Columbia.

Now I have three days left at USC and I’m reflecting on what an incredible year it’s been. Some of the things I’ll miss the most about America are completely unexpected. Some of those initial shocks have come to seem ordinary, and even homely. Some of the things I love the most about America are exactly the things that I disliked at the beginning of my journey, and some of the things I’ll miss the most I knew I’d love from the start. So in the name of circularity, here’s my top ten things that I’ll miss the most about studying abroad at USC.
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10) The weather

Unlike England, rain showers in Columbia last a matter of hours at most, rather than a matter of days- or even weeks. The summers are long and hot and the winters are short and mild, and we were even spoiled with four novelty days of snow this year- and four days off ‘school’ to match. I’m going to miss stepping outside of my dorm into the blazing sunshine rather than putting on every layer of clothing I own before climbing the treacherous hill that is Leeds’s Royal Park Road.

 9) Free stuff

Free t-shirts. Free beer cozies. Free water bottles. Free sunglasses. Free bags. Free copies of the New York Times. Free vouchers. Free tickets. Free food. USC, you sure know how to win the hearts of us students. Image

8) Prices

If I’m not already happy enough accumulating all the free stuff I didn’t know I needed, I’m saving even more money by enjoying the sterling to dollar exchange rate. Bottles of beer are a dollar (60p), Margaritas at Tios are $2 (£1.20) thrift shop purchases are a dollar, and I bought all the bedding, kitchenware and supplies I needed for the entire year at Wal Mart for $80 (£50). America has completely ruined my perception of value and I’m probably going to return to the UK and complain about how much cheaper everything is in dollars. (sorrynotsorry)

7) Strom

Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, affectionately known as ‘strom’ by USC students is our gym at university. Not only do I live a minute’s walk away from this beastly fitness complex, but it boasts an outdoor pool, a running track, a climbing wall, a sauna, sand volleyball courts- and it’s FREE. Image

6) Easy education

When I first arrived at USC I was perplexed by the fact that everyone called it ‘school’. Now that I’ve been here for a year, I’ve realised that the term is pretty appropriate. I have seminars in my tutor’s house with popcorn and soda. We pick our own essay topics and we have exams twice a semester to lighten the load. Exam questions are multiple choice and sometimes require only one word answers. Final exams are held during class time and teachers are often flexible and negotiable about dishing out our grades. Not to dumb down all the hard work I’ve put in while laying by the pool all year- but American university life has been a light, cool breeze.

 5) Travel opportunities

When I first discovered that I’d been accepted at USC I was slightly concerned that my destination wasn’t very…cosmopolitan. But it’s actually been an incredible base for travelling elsewhere. Namely, Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, New York, Washington DC and very soon I’ll be in Tennessee. Although weekend trips to the Lake District, Brighton and London won’t be quite as crazy, travelling around America so often has given me a new-found desire to explore my own country some more once I return home. Image

 4) Southern Hospitality

If it wasn’t for Southern Hospitality, I may not have recovered from culture shock so quickly. In sharp contrast to the mad, impersonal rush of big cities, Southerners are open, honest and welcoming. Passers-by say ‘Hey, how are you?’, shop staff frequently give discounts and people are always offering car rides. I’ll be sad to trade all of this in for British social stiffness.

 

3) American enthusiasm

Americans may be louder and more vocal than us Brits, but it’s for a good reason. I’ve never come across a nation of people who are, on the whole, so emphatic and enthusiastic. Some of their hyperbolic statements and cheesy phrases may get on my nerves sometimes, but when you’re in Alabama stuck halfway up a rock wall, having a team of Americans at the bottom screaming, “Girl you GOT it! Keep going! Don’t give up you’re doing super AWESOME!” is just what you need. Image2) Being an outsider

It may sound backwards, but being an outsider in a new community for a whole year is so much fun. I’ve been taking pictures of every little thing because it all seems so different and full of discovery, and there is ALWAYS something to do. The small things that seem insignificant to the majority of Americans here have been a huge deal to me- like screaming ‘GO COCKS!’ at the top of my voice at football games, playing cornhole, watching free movies in the student union cinema and choosing every single topping at Yoghut. Then there’s the big things which to me, have blown my mind- like taking a seat at Williams-Brice stadium and taking the elevator to the top floor of the Empire State Building.
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 1) People

Meeting new people every day has enriched my life more than any other aspect of studying abroad. Chatting to someone is like going on a journey in itself, learning about where they’re from, what they believe and what their story is. Even my professors have been outstanding, mentoring me, looking out for me and helping me settle in way beyond their call of duty. Then there’s the people that I’ve met from the start, my rag-tag group of hilarious, ridiculous, carefree friends from all over the world. We’ve stuck together from the beginning and kept each other sane during the ups and downs of studying abroad. Not only have I got incredible friends from all over America, I’ve got a bunch of British friends who I’ll be seeing back home in England. It just so happens that if there was anything that I wished I could pack in my suitcase and bring back home with me- it would be them. As for the ones who’ll be staying in America- they’re the perfect excuse to come back to the states some time soon.

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Tags: , , England, , , , reflection, , study abroad, sunshine, , UK, usa, , yoghut

30 ways you know you’re a student in South Carolina

9 Sep

From the perspective of a British exchange student, here’s thirty things I’ll always associate with the almighty Palmetto, Gamecock state. 
1: Everyone says ‘cock’ in a non-sexual context

2: Everyone wears items of clothing displaying the word ‘cock’, phrases such as ‘party like a cockstar’, ‘abide to the cockstitution’ and ‘solid cock’. The singing group here is called the ‘cock-apellas’ and the swimming team is called ‘wet cocks go deeper’.
3: There is an abundance of bold squirrels.
4: Everyone says ‘y’all’
5: Chicken is always fried. Always.
6: Everyone wears Nike shorts- or, ‘norts’
7: You can’t cross a road in less than a minute, and when you do, you are risking your life significantly
8: Fast food is everywhere, but no-one is fat. Everyone appears to be coming from or going to the gym (point 6)
9: Southern hospitality hits you from the moment you arrive. Everyone is incredibly friendly and chatty. Personal anecdotes include free lifts, $20 discount on a text book, $5 discount on my groceries, and a collection of business cards from people I can ring ‘if I ever run into trouble.
10: You will leave with at least one free t-shirt. It will have the word ‘cock’ on it.
11: Palmetto trees line the streets.
12: Everyone wears lanyards.
13: You have to have a Carolina Card to do anything.
14: People will ask if you’ve seen ‘the hit’.

15: Life stops on Gameday.
16: You will be verbally harassed if you wear orange.
17: Lack of pedestrians. Walking to the supermarket makes you feel like a tramp/hitch-hiker.
18: Pharmacies sell food.
19: Teenagers drive family saloons and 4X4s.
20: There will always be a party happening, somewhere, with beer pong. Always with beer pong.
21: There are four types of footwear, and four types only: Jack Rogers, Rainbow flip-flops, Nike Trainers, and Cowboy boots. If you want to waste $100 on a pair of ugly sandals, buy some Jack Rogers.
22: People play country music, especially Hootie and The Blowfish who founded at USC.
23: People take rides sitting in the back of pick-up trucks- it’s legal here. 
24: You’ll see people wearing camouflage: hunting is popular and there’s a military base in Columbia.
25: There are more churches than schools.
26: Bars only play RnB and dubstep mashups.
27: In these bars, girls ‘twerk’ and boys ‘dagger’. This is basically dry-humping in public. This is initiated by a gypsy-style ‘grab’
28: Thrift shops sell unbelievably smelly edgy amazing vintage and second hand clothes for like, totally, $1 
29: People would ask if you would like to go shagging. They are inviting you to participate in SC’s swing dance.
30: You’ll catch sight of the confederate flag. 

Tags: America football, chicken, cock, , confederate flag, driving, , gameday, Jack Rogers, Nike, shagging, , Southern hospitality, , thrift shop,

My Top Ten Culture Shocks from Moving to South Carolina

23 Aug

I thought my lungs were about to collapse. I could feel everyone around me staring. I could taste the smell of salt and fat lingering in the air. My legs were about to buckle beneath me, and as I slammed my luggage on the chair, I felt tears rolling down my face. How long had I been crying?

“Are you okay ma’am?” asked a woman nearby.

“Yes thanks, just about, just- recovering,” I panted.

Stripping off my layers and ringing the sweat from my pony tail (yes, really) I felt as though I’d learnt a lifetime’s worth of lessons in just two hours- and I hadn’t even got to South Carolina.

This was my first experience of the USA. Following my 9 hour flight from Copenhagen to Washington DC, I had under two hours to make my final flight to Columbia. As customs, baggage reclaim, baggage drop-off and security took an hour and 40 minutes, I had just 16 minutes to make it to my next gate. The problem was, it was in another terminal. Five escalators, a train, and 13 straight minutes of sprinting later I made it to my gate with three minutes until take-off. Void of words, oxygen and any form of socially acceptable human interaction I slammed my ticket down on the desk and shouted, “COLUMBIA. FLIGHT. COLUMBIA. THIS GATE?”

To my greatest dismay, and utter relief, a woman in the waiting area stood up and said, “It’s delayed”. I looked on the departures board to find my flight wasn’t due for another hour.

This was my first experience of the USA. Since being here for ten days, I’ve experienced life very differently across the globe. Here are my top ten culture shocks from my first ten days living in the United States. Enjoy!

10) The Unwritten Rules of ‘Fashion’

One of the first things that struck me when walking round on campus was that all the girls here wear baggy Nike shorts, baggy t-shirts and flip-flops. It’s not just a craze that’s slowly catching on- it’s almost every single girl you walk past at USC. I totally understand the reasoning behind it because it’s unbearably humid most days, but even wearing a skirt and a nice blouse will provoke double-takes all day long.

9) The Weather

If I had a pound for every time I’ve heard the phrases “You’ve brought the British weather with you” and “This is our worst Summer ever,” I’d be a very rich woman indeed. The weather so far has consisted of only two days of blazing sun, and eight days of intense thunderstorms and humid showers. If it doesn’t buck up soon, I’ll be hearing the dreaded “Oh, you aren’t as tanned as I thought you would be” when I come back home for Christmas.

8) Southern Hospitality
The friendliness and warmth of the locals here has been absolutely incredible. Passers-by in the street always greet me, everyone asks how I am, whether I need a hand, a map or even a lift somewhere. Within five minutes of arriving in my dorm, my flatmate had already invited me home for Thanksgiving. It’s such a change from the hustle and bustle of UK cities, where the only thing passers-by are worrying about is how close the next Pret is and whether they’ll make the next tube.

7) Food, food, and free stuff

A large portion of my time here has been spent seeking out shops that actually sell fruit and vegetables. The nearest one is a drive away. The union here is full of greasy pizza huts, cookie and milkshake cafes and burger bars. Not only this but I’ve been inundated with invites to welcome events based solely around eating, such as the ‘Ice-Cream Kick-Off’ and ‘Pizza Welcome’ which bestow these calorific goods upon you for free. I haven’t cracked yet, but I’m determined not to come home at Christmas three stones heavier.

6) Traffic

If almost missing my flight didn’t seem like the end of the world, crossing the roads over here certainly does. They span six lanes wide and are full of huge pick-up trucks, lorries and fraternity drivers flaunting their new wheels. Nobody seems to drive at normal speeds, and the pedestrian lights have a count-down timer which tell you how long you have to cross the road. They may as well read ‘Seconds left to live’, while the drivers behind the glass rev as they smell your fear.

5) Is she Russian?
I spent my first five days here wondering why I kept hearing the phrase “Is she Russian?” Turns out it’s actually: ‘Is she rushing?’

‘Rushing’ is the two-week period when sororities and fraternities pick their new recruits. When a girl is rushing, she has to meet with representatives for each sorority who will give her a grade from 1-5 based on how much they like her. Sorority members are not allowed to go out or use Facebook during this period, as not to tip the scales in their favour. The results ceremony is called ‘The Running of the Pigs’. The recruits line up with their eyes closed and are handed a t-shirt belonging to the sorority that has accepted them. They put on the t-shirt and run to that sorority as fast as they can, while the frat boys try and trip them up along the way.
The frat houses here are located in their own area of campus known as ‘Greek Village’, where you will find £3million (party) mansions- just like the movies. I find this giant popularity contest fascinating, but it’s not for me. The only entrance criteria for joining my societies back home is that you like having a laugh, you like to have fun, and you like to party.

4) The Mighty Gamecocks

The ‘Gamecocks’ are the University of South Carolina’s resident American Football team. They. Are. Huge. Before each game, students and locals gather in the stadium car park to ‘tailgate’, whereby they gather round TVs, drink and have BBQs all day long. The stadium is almost as big as Wembley, and the games are so popular they’re broadcast on ESPN without fail. When I arrived I was asked the question ‘Have you seen THE HIT?’, which is footage of star player Jadeveon Clowney tackling his opponent so hard he knocked his helmet clean off.

But its not the culture surrounding the Gamecocks that’s so much of a shock. It’s the casual use of the word ‘cock’ that’s so strange. T-shirts, caps, hoodies, pencil cases, keyrings, towels, duvets- any form of merchandise sold in the shops around campus all feature the word ‘cock’. Whether it’s ‘party like a cockstar’, or ‘cocks, cocks, go cocks!’, the word just doesn’t seem to be phallic over here. I wonder how long it will be until I stop cringing every time I hear it…

3) Legislation

The legislation against drinking under the age of 21 is tighter than I ever could have imagined. We had a seven-hour orientation session this week, half of which consisted of warning after warning about drinking fines and penalties. Yet, the legal smoking age is 18 and it’s even younger to be able to drive. So a 17-year-old can jump in a car, but a 20-year-old can’t consume certain liquids. We aren’t allowed any posters with pictures of alcohol on them, and there will be regular room inspections in our halls. Even if you are 21, you aren’t allowed to drink around minors and the only place you can drink on campus is in your own room. I can’t decide whether coming to the land of the dry or going home for Christmas for mulled wine, champagne and vodka will shock me more.

2) Size Matters

One of the first things I thought to myself when I landed in America was, ‘Why is everything so big?’ Despite the fact that I’ve moved to a city that’s smaller than Leeds, it feels ten times bigger than what I’m used to. First of all, the cars are huge. Scrap Ford KAs, minis, and smart cars and exchange them for Jeeps, Hummers and Land Rovers. Then there’s the shops. Before entering WalMart we were given a map of it’s store plan so we didn’t get lost. But the biggest shock of all has been the food portions. Having bought a salad at my student union on Monday, I kept it in the fridge and ate it for lunch for the next three days. Even my Starbucks order is bigger than usual, and trying to find a sandwich that doesn’t have 10 slices of ham wedged in the middle is becoming a daily mission.

1) Do you know the Queen?

Everyone warned me about this. Being British in the USA is like being One Direction at a One Direction concert. I first noticed it on the plane to Columbia, when I spoke to the man next to me and at least ten people turned around to stare. Everyone swoons over my accent, and I find myself speaking Queen’s English just to ham it up. People have asked me if I know ‘Wills’ and Kate, and when I tell them I’m from a small town in the North they say, ‘Oh yeah, near London, right?’ It does have its benefits, too. A man in the book shop gave me a $26 discount, and I made a friend purely because a guy wanted to talk about the English Premier League with me.

I hope the culture shocks continue because after all, I’ve come on study abroad to learn and to plunge myself in at the deep end. I’m in the Deep South for a while now, and can’t wait to see where my next ten days take me.

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Great Expectations

30 Jun

It will develop you as an individual. You’ll learn about patience, tolerance and acceptance. You’ll learn not only about other cultures but about yourself. It will test you. It will be fun, it will be crazy, it will be unpredictable. Expect the unexpected.

Where do I sign up?

The decision to apply for a place on the University of Leeds study abroad scheme was an easy one. I applied in full knowledge that the year wouldn’t be easy, but it would certainly be rewarding. Little did I anticipate that half the lessons I thought I would learn over the space of a year have tried and tested me in the last two months. Visa applications, insurance, bank statements, suitcases, housing forms, course selection processes, passport photos and so on. But that’s the easy part. The preparation for studying abroad has required a lot of emotional reflection pre-departure. Ending second year in Leeds began the long string of goodbyes that forced me to think about what I truly care about, and what I’m leaving behind. In this sense, my year abroad has already begun.
On 13th August I’ll touch down in the land of the free to begin my Appalachian adventure. I’ll have two days to find my feet in Columbia before registering and moving in to my dorm at the University of South Carolina. Having met up with Leeds students who went to USC last year and a USC student on exchange at Leeds, I’ve heard that life happens pretty differently in the American South. 

I’ll no longer be able to drink legally, and turning 21 in America is set to be reminiscent of turning 18 all over again. From what I hear, the night out culture in Columbia is not as prominent as it is in Leeds, as clubs are replaced by bars and house-parties, and pre-drinks are replaced with tail-gating. My go-to social event of the week won’t be Propaganda or Bednesday, but a football game at the Williams Brice stadium. The sports culture over there is huge, with USC’s resident sports teams the ‘Gamecocks’ appearing on ESPN every week. With a seating capacity of 80,250 and free tickets for USC students it won’t be short of atmosphere. And I thought the Liverpool derby was exciting…

At some point on this year-long holiday I will actually have to do some work. I understand the grading system is totally different, as is the workload. At the end of the year I will have a grade-point average from 1-4, judged from my attendance record and achievement in spot-tests, homework and short pieces of coursework. I’m waving goodbye to hours of referencing and welcoming short, sharp bursts of examination. I’ll also get half term back, in the form of Thanksgiving and Spring Break, alongside various other celebrations such as Dr Martin Luther King Jr Service Day and Independence Day.

The political and social climate of Columbia will be a stark difference to my life at home. Coming from a small seaside town, most of which is populated by a white ethnic majority and represented by a Lib Dem MP, I’m prepared for political and racial variation alongside echoes of history from the old American South. I’ll certainly be in the minority in the sense that I don’t drive. From what I gather, even walking to the supermarket is uncommon in Columbia and the bus service is scarce, unsafe and to put it bluntly, really uncool.

I’ll also be waving goodbye to crop-tops, high heels and party dresses and trading them in for the Columbian staple of flip-flops and shorts. I can’t wait. The climate is scorching in the Summer and mild in the Winter, with temperatures reaching average lows of 3ºC in December and highs of 35ºC in August. The USC campus has an outdoor swimming pool, free sports facilities boasting an indoor running track circling the gym, and over 400 student clubs and organisations.  
If my experience of South Carolina is anything like the information I have to go by, it will be an unforgettable year. If it isn’t anything like the information I have, it will be an unforgettable year. I’m packing my life into two suitcases and moving it halfway across the globe. I know that whatever happens in the next year I’ll be returning as a different individual, with a great tan, and a whole lot of stories to tell.

Tags: anticipation, expectations, , , study abroad, ,

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