The Experience so Far

54 days is how long I’ve been in the UK, that’s nearly two months, which surpasses my previous record of being away from home for only 4 weeks! I reached the halfway point early last week so I thought I’d take the time to reflect on my progression and what one might be able to expect especially if this is the first time being away for an extended period of time. In the study abroad intro videos Iowa State touches on the highs and lows referring to it as somewhat analogous to a roller coaster. I think that’s a good way of summing it up, and it will definitely be different for everyone. I’ll break up my experience into sections.

Weeks 1-2; This was the time when I traveled around before classes started. This was definitely the time when I was figuring things out, everything from planes and trains to hotels and hostels. I was a little nervous facing a new country and new situations by myself, but the busy rush of the first few weeks pushed me through it and now the things that always seemed so intimidating are a part of everyday life. However, some nights I did find myself missing friends and family back home. By the end of the second week I was definitely ready to move into my university accommodation.

Weeks 3-5; The next three weeks flew by, in previous posts I talked about all the things that needed to be done upon arrival to the University. I was meeting all kinds of new people and getting to know my city. Not to mention classes on the side! These three weeks literally felt like one week.

Week 6; During week 6 my family came to visit, I was running between classes and the city center everyday to visit with them. We also traveled around on the weekends, which was a nice change after being in Birmingham for a month. This week flew by just as fast as the others.

Week 7: The seventh week definitely slowed down compared to the rest. This was the week that I hit the halfway mark. On one hand the days leading up to it seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye, but on the other hand it seemed like a lifetime ago that I first boarded the plane to London. Fall was in full swing, and being one of my favorite seasons, I found myself missing home and all the activities that come with Fall. Now in the grand scheme of things it’s not like English culture differs a lot from American culture. However, the city life is nearly complete opposite from my rural home area. This was the main source of feeling homesick. There are no open roads to drive on, no open spaces to walk in, save for a few parks here and there. At home I would travel miles to go various places for shopping, visiting people etc. Here, life is lived in a 2 square mile box at most. Everything you need is packed in it. Which is convenient, but doesn’t allow for the feeling of much space or freedom I get when living in a more rural area.

In conclusion, I’m normally not one for being away from my hometown for long periods of time so I imagined I would get quite homesick. Which I have here and there, but luckily, not nearly as much as I anticipated I would. The one thing I have found the most helpful to stay content with where you are is to stay busy. Whether it be with classes, traveling, hanging with friends, exploring the city, etc. as long as you continually mix it up so that you can avoid boredom things will go much smoother. I may touch on this topic again toward the end of the semester to see how the second half progresses.

-Quinton

 

Getting to Know the Country You’re in.

While getting to know the city you’re in is a very important part of the study abroad experience, I think it’s just as important to get to know the culture of the country you’re in as a whole. After settling into your new University it’s a good time to start thinking of other places you want to go that would make good weekend trips. Chances are you won’t be doing long extensive trips outside the country to much after school starts. However, weekend trips within the country are very doable.

I was lucky enough to have some family come to visit and we spent a couple weekends traveling the UK. First we went to London (Which seems to be like a second home to me over here given the amount of time I spend there.) I’ve talked about London before, but you could go back again and again and there would always be something new to do. While my family was here we rode the London Eye and checked out the Tower of London, topping our time off by doing some shopping at Piccadilly Circus. We also took a day trip that allowed us to see Stonehenge, Windsor Castle and do some sightseeing in Bath. This trip was a good change from London and Birmingham. While I love the cities they don’t make it possible to see the countryside and the smaller towns that seem to have more traditional culture. However, spending 8 hours on a tour bus winding through the English countryside does!

I’ve still got more places to cross off my list, which includes Scotland, Snowdonia, and a coastal town like Brighton. I’ve now reached the halfway point of my time in Europe, hopefully the second half will contain just as many travels!

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Welcome to Birmingham!

Between the studying abroad, packing and traveling posts I figured it would be appropriate to talk about my home here in England.

I am living in student housing here at the University of Birmingham. Over all the experience has been fantastic! It’s about a 20 minute walk from campus and a 30 minute walk (give or take.) to the City Centre. However, for the sake of time my friends and I will either take the train or get an Uber into the city. I’d never used Uber until I came here, and I’ll warn you now that it’s dangerously convenient! Especially in a large city like Birmingham it’s a great way to get around fast and cheap.

Culture: I swear every culture from every reach of the world is present here. From Indian cuisine, Chinatown, European delicacies to 1950’s American diner imitations and everything in between. I’ve found that the people here are for the most part very friendly and open to outsiders. I think this is partially accredited to the fact that they live with people that come from all different backgrounds.

If you ask anyone from Birmingham what their lifestyle is like, they would say they live in a relaxed but steady city. However, coming from a town of 600 people, I personally don’t think there’s anything relaxed about it! It’s all a matter of perspective. They often compare their city to London, so in those regards it is much slower paced. But, compared to even the largest cities in Iowa, it’s a busy place!

Things to do: After class there are often days when you’ll find you have quite a bit of free time. For most University students it seems as if there are two main past times. Either you hang out with friends/student organizations around campus or you go to the Bullring (shopping mall). While being here I’ve played my fair share of ping pong and I’m starting to finally get a good feel for the Bullring. There is also Cadbury World, which I have yet to see.

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Settling In

When you first arrive at your new University settling in can be intimidating. There will be so much to do and so little time to do it. When I first came I dropped all my stuff off in my room and went to meet my new flatmates. In fact I didn’t actually unpack my suitcases until a week after arriving! Within that first welcome week I had a lot of business to attend to. First of all there was the essential Right to Study check. This is where I obtained my ID card and was officially given the green light from the University to become a student. Along with that I needed to make sure that all my classes were in order. This was by far the most time consuming thing in my case. It’s also a good idea to register with a doctor. It’s easy to put off, but if you get sick and you haven’t registered then you may be out of luck. It took me a couple weeks before I finally forced myself to actually make the trek to the GP’s office, but seeing as there were quite a few people in my building getting sick I made sure to do it.

Those were some of the housekeeping things that need to be done. However, there are more fun and just as important things that you need to be doing! You’ve probably been preparing quite a few months for this moment and now is the time to make friends and immerse yourself in the sites, people, and experiences. It’s never to early to start making friends. I’d suggest starting with your flat/room/floor mates seeing as these are the people you’ll be seeing the most throughout your time. Luckily, I ended up in a flat with 7 amazing people that I would be happy to call friends!

Look into joining clubs and societies on campus as well. They are a great way to meet people that have similar interests as you. Don’t be afraid to try new things! A lot of things will seem strange at first, but trust me, trying new things will become the norm.

So far I have met way more people than I ever thought I would, and I hope to meet many more!

Cheers,

-Q