by Claire Palmer
University of Worcester, England
I'm really starting to feel at home in Worcester! My room has become quite homey, and with course inductions underway, I feel very prepared for classes to start next week! But I think above all else, the friends I've made in this short amount of time have helped me settle in more than anything.
My first flatmate, an exchange student from New Zealand, moved in during my first night while I was sleeping. I was a bit nervous about meeting the people I was going to be living with, but after introducing myself in the morning, I found out that we have quite a bit in common, and she, along with one of her classmates from New Zealand in the next flat, have become very good friends of mine! Later that day, the rest of my flatmates arrived: three from Sweden and one from Holland, all of which have been very kind and friendly.
All of us international students moved in about a week before the domestic ones, so on Monday, when my course inductions (sort of like orientation) began, I was with almost all British students. I was a bit quiet at first, probably because I felt like a bit of an outlier, but when it came down to a group activity, everyone was very interested to hear that I was from the US (apparently I don't have a "classic American accent" as they call it, so some people didn't notice right away). I've kind of relied on that as an ice breaker when meeting new people, and as silly as it sounds, it actually works! There really aren't many Americans studying here, so when the domestic students I've met hear someone with that accent, they want to know things like what part of the US I'm from and what it's like there, etc. Although it might sound a bit vain enjoying talking about yourself, it really made me feel comfortable that people were interested in getting to know me better. (Also, I was especially helpful during a pub quiz when the instructor asked "Which US states produces Jack Daniel's Whiskey?"!) By the end of the day, I became very comfortable walking up to random students and introducing myself, which is something I would have never done before!
So, when studying abroad, or just going anywhere new, I've found that the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and begin a conversation with someone! You never know who you will meet or who will have the same interests as you until you get to know them!
See you, Space Cowboy!
University of Worcester, England
I'm really starting to feel at home in Worcester! My room has become quite homey, and with course inductions underway, I feel very prepared for classes to start next week! But I think above all else, the friends I've made in this short amount of time have helped me settle in more than anything.
My first flatmate, an exchange student from New Zealand, moved in during my first night while I was sleeping. I was a bit nervous about meeting the people I was going to be living with, but after introducing myself in the morning, I found out that we have quite a bit in common, and she, along with one of her classmates from New Zealand in the next flat, have become very good friends of mine! Later that day, the rest of my flatmates arrived: three from Sweden and one from Holland, all of which have been very kind and friendly.
All of us international students moved in about a week before the domestic ones, so on Monday, when my course inductions (sort of like orientation) began, I was with almost all British students. I was a bit quiet at first, probably because I felt like a bit of an outlier, but when it came down to a group activity, everyone was very interested to hear that I was from the US (apparently I don't have a "classic American accent" as they call it, so some people didn't notice right away). I've kind of relied on that as an ice breaker when meeting new people, and as silly as it sounds, it actually works! There really aren't many Americans studying here, so when the domestic students I've met hear someone with that accent, they want to know things like what part of the US I'm from and what it's like there, etc. Although it might sound a bit vain enjoying talking about yourself, it really made me feel comfortable that people were interested in getting to know me better. (Also, I was especially helpful during a pub quiz when the instructor asked "Which US states produces Jack Daniel's Whiskey?"!) By the end of the day, I became very comfortable walking up to random students and introducing myself, which is something I would have never done before!
So, when studying abroad, or just going anywhere new, I've found that the best thing to do is to take a deep breath and begin a conversation with someone! You never know who you will meet or who will have the same interests as you until you get to know them!
See you, Space Cowboy!