What is one piece of advice you'd give future students traveling with your program?
Drop your American pride and go in with an open mind, no matter where you go. You will learn so much more if you try to live and behave along with the culture of where you are studying.
Make friends with a variety of people; try new foods; stay in hostels; learn local phrases; listen to others’ ideas, visit small towns, not just tourist attractions; take a train and get off somewhere at random at least once; even if you don’t drink (I don’t) go to a club or two; enjoy a relaxed night in a pub chatting with locals or listening to live music; take any opportunities that come your way.
Really, just immerse yourself in the culture – that is how you will make the most of your experience.
Did you run into a language barrier? Did you ever think you knew more/less of the language?
When I first arrived, I could hardly understand anything anyone was saying, and they were all speaking English! It took a couple of weeks for me to be able to understand Northern accents. I tried to order a smoothie in a little café one time, and when the lady at the counter asked me if I wanted a whole, semi-skimmed, or skim milk, I just replied, “yes” because I didn’t understand a word she said.
I could not understand the bus drivers and just hoped for the best when I got on a bus. I was constantly asking the other American students if they understood what people said, and I remember being very confused when someone asked me, “Are you alright” as a greeting. Once I made some British friends; however, I quickly learned the accent and could even mimic the inflections within a couple of months.
Tell us about any interesting cultural tidbits you noticed about your country.
If the Brits ask “Are you alright?”, they are asking how you are, not worrying that something is wrong. When I first had someone ask me this, I replied, “Yeah? Do I look upset or something?” They just looked confused and walked away.
Similarly, if they ask, “Where are you from?”, it isn’t because they don’t know from your accent. It is because Brits don’t want to risk asking a Canadian if they are American by mistake. They really want to know what state you are from so they can try to place it.
Lastly, sarcasm. The Brits say everything so deadpan that it is hard to tell what is sarcasm and what is not. I still have no idea how they pick up on each other’s sarcasm. It always threw me off and led to awkward situations when I tried to explain myself after someone’s sarcastic remark.
Do you think your program changed you as a person?
Studying abroad taught me many things from how to maneuver through airports and new cities to how to cook, but most of all it taught me two very important lessons. The first is that listening to other people’s ideas about anything, from global issues to dinner recipes, is extremely rewarding. Listening is a key factor in learning and becoming more cultured. It also makes friends.
The second thing I learned is that I have not really seen much of the world. I have now been to eight different countries, but I have really only seen snippets. There is so much more out there to experience. The world is an endless source of knowledge, culture, and social and physical experiences. Studying abroad gave me a hunger for new ideas and experiences that will motivate me to strive for more in my life than I would have ever thought to do before.
