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I made the jump from Manchester, England to Bloomington, Indiana in August of 2011. It is hard to believe that I am now a senior and that it will soon be coming to an end, but for those of you who are thinking about starting this journey, here are some things to look forward to and to expect.
Things to expect on arrival:You will go through International Orientation, and I wish I had listened more! It is kind of long but pay attention, I promise it will help, especially when talking about Visa Documents and what not. Welcome Week is the American equivalent of freshers week, and I will leave it at that! You will also most probably be paired with a roommate which is something unfamiliar to us Brits. You have to share your actual bedroom with another human being. Daunting I know, but I absolutely loved my roommate freshman year and I loved sharing it with her. Lots of people make life long friends with their roommates, and its a good way to meet new people through them. And besides, most of the day you will be out at class or out doing whatever it is you like to do! Getting along with your new roommate is important but you don't have to be the absolute best of friends to have an enjoyable dorm experience. So don't fret, as I know I did before I came!
Me personally:Now I must admit when I first got here I was rather stubborn. I didn't want to be 'converted' or change who I was, so I stuck to all my usual slang and said phrases such as , "I am just going to nip to the loo" ( going to the restroom) or I would refuse to get off 'military time' or as we say, the 24 hour clock. What I have learned is it is much easier to just adapt and use American slang and to try not to use too many words that are not familiar here, simply to make conversation flow better. Although you will receive a lot of comments on your accent, they love it! It is just difficult to keep having to explain yourself or to have people look at you like you are bonkers (crazy). Although I must warn you I have started using phrases from the States back home in England. A good example of this is when someone says sorry for something, lets say standing on your foot, and responding 'Oh you're fine'. Now to an American this is completely normal, but to us Brits it is confusing as we know we are fine, we were the ones saying sorry!
What is different:Of course there was a lot to get used to, even though we speak the same language and our cultures are similar, it is very different. For one, the entire schooling system is different. You take a huge variety of classes instead of just your major classes, making you a much more well-rounded individual. You also don't even need to pick your major right away, you can remain undecided in the beginning, which is exactly what I did. They definitely tend to eat out a lot more (which I love!) so prepare yourself for copious amounts of Chipotle, Noodles and Company and Jimmy Johns (three great places to eat casually downtown). Lots of people go out to eat for breakfast which is very different to back home. My friends and I find ourselves at Village Deli regularly for a great American breakfast! The picture underneath here is of the Sample Gates looking away from campus, down the main strip called Kirkwood. Here, is where you will find the places I mentioned to eat as well as places to shop.
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There is also the Greek life at IU, yes like in the movies, and no not lots of people from Greece (which I originally thought there must be.... come on, its misleading). I am a student-athlete on the field hockey team (just hockey to us!) and so I unfortunately just never had the time to get involved. But there is so much to get involved in if you join a Fraternity or a Sorority and I would highly encourage a Brit to take part to get the full American experience.
What I missed from home:The biggest thing that I missed when I came to the States, besides my family and friends, was chocolate. Yes, chocolate. Now I am not saying there is anything wrong with Hershey's, but it just does not beat Galaxy and Cadburys! However, there are so many great places in Bloomington where I can get chocolate fix, such as Baked of Bloomington. This is a cookie company which lets you custom make your own cookies! (I may start a similar business in England as I will miss it so much). There are hundreds of combinations and they even deliver it right to your door. There are Hartzells and Chocolate Moose for ice cream in Bloomington and much more
IU Campus:The IU campus truly is like something out of a movie to us Brits. When it is nice out people are all over the place throwing Frisbees and American Footballs. Athletes walk around in their jock jackets and so on! There are cheerleaders at sporting events, as well as, marching bands and huge crowds. IU is a big basketball school so I would absolutely recommend going to those games, it gets pretty wild. One thing that is disappointing for us however is the drinking age. There is still plenty to do to have fun and socialize, but if you are 21 there is great night life in this amazing college town. There is even a cool little bar called Nicks English Hut, to make you feel slightly more at home!
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I was really only home sick, as such, my freshman year, but everyone was so welcoming, and it really helped me by living in the dorms getting to know people in a new country. It can be a daunting move to jump across to another country when you know nobody, but looking back over the years I would say it was worth it! I have had the chance to experience a whole new part of the world and seen some amazing places such as Chicago, New York, San Francisco, San Diego and Washington DC. I am even going to be going to Vegas this Spring Break in March (Spring Breaaaak Wooo!!)
So if you are looking to make the move to the Land of the Free from Great Britain, I hope this helped you and gave you a short insight into what it is really like!
Cheerio,
Amanda Bennison