Student Spotlight: Adrianna Terrell in England
What is one challenge you experienced during your first month? How did you overcome that challenge?
“This is my first time ever out of my home country, and my first time traveling on an airplane, so it has been a very new experience! One challenge that I noticed right away has been getting around within my city. The first day I took the bus to the grocery store, and they sure don’t make it easy for new people to know what to do. Luckily, I was with a large group so I could follow the people in front of me. The bus was pretty packed so I had to stand up, and I learned that you have to hold onto the poles unless you want to lose your balance and fall over. I had no idea what bus to get on or what stop to get off at, so luckily I was with other people from my university. It was all very new to me and I was so confused how everyone just seemed to know where to go. I took the tube for the first time a few days later and this was even more chaotic. You really have to know which is the correct one, otherwise you could end up on the complete opposite side of the city. Some things that helped me figure out how to navigate traveling and public transportation was Citymapper, practice, and confidence. Citymapper is a very useful app that tells you exactly what bus stop, bus number, and tube you need to get to your destination. It also tells you when they will be arriving. Using this has been extremely helpful and I highly recommend it for others traveling to London. The more that I have used the bus, the more I am getting used to it. I have taken the bus almost every day since being here and I feel like a pro now! I am also starting to recognize street names and which buses go where. I think the last thing that I needed to overcome this challenge was confidence. If you look like you know what you’re doing you will fit right in with everyone else. If you have missed your stop but keep calm and confident nobody will even know. With traveling also comes a lot of walking. I am doing double the amount of steps that I usually do, which is good but tiring! The first few days my legs were extremely sore and I had blisters. I think my body is getting used to this large amount of walking and hopefully I won’t get as sore from now on.”
What similarities and differences have you experienced between your host culture and your culture?
“London seems like a very diverse city with people from all over. I have heard many different accents and languages while walking around, which is very cool! My closest friends here are from Australia and Norway, so it has been interesting to compare different things from our countries. As far as comparing my home country, the USA, and my host country, England, there are a lot of similarities but also a lot of differences. Starting off with communication and language, a big similarity is that the main language is English. While there are a few differences in how people refer to things, I have had no problem understanding people. A few things that I have picked up on so far is that people here will say “you reckon” instead of “you think”. People also say “join the queue” instead of “wait in line.” There are many other little language differences, however it is easy to pick up on using the context of what we are talking about. I also noticed that the U.S has a lot of similar stores to the UK. There are a few, such as Primark, Pull & Bear, and Boots that we do not have in the U.S. However, stores like H&M, Zara, Mcdonalds, Five Guys, and Chipotle are all very familiar to me. One of the huge differences is public transportation and the way people get around. Where I am from in the U.S, public transportation is not very popular and most people drive everywhere themselves. In London, it seems like everyone uses public transportation. I have seen people on the bus on their way to work, going to the grocery store, and coming back from school. There are still a lot of cars on the road, but it seems like maybe only wealthy people have their own car, whereas in the U.S almost everyone has their own car. Another major difference is the side of the road people drive on. In the U.S people drive on the right and the steering wheel is on the left side, but in England people drive on the left and the steering wheel is on the right side. I still get confused on which way to look before crossing the road! People are also supposed to walk on the left side of a path, however I find that it doesn’t really matter. It gets a little confusing because on an escalator you are supposed to stand on the right side, which I definitely did not do the first time. The food is a little different here, but nothing drastic. I have not had the chance to eat at many restaurants yet, so hopefully I will get to experience this more and find some differences!”
What are you looking forward to experiencing in your second month abroad?
“I have only been in my host country for a little over a week now, and it feels like I have been here so long already! I have seen a few tourist sites, such as Big Ben, the London Eye and the London Bridge but I am looking forward to seeing many more. I start classes next week, so I will be having to adjust to a new schedule. I am taking Consumer Behavior, Screendance, and an Art Museum class so I am excited to see how they will go! I am also looking forward to hopefully joining the cheerleading team or dance society at my university. I think this will be a good way to meet more people, especially people that are from England. I am also a part of the social programme at my university and we will be going to Dover Castle and Wales in the next month so I am very much looking forward to that as well! I want to challenge myself to do some exploring on my own in the next month, as all of my exploring has been done with friends. I think it will be nice to be able to have a day to do anything that I want and it will be great for gaining independence. I have really enjoyed this past week that I have been in London and I cannot wait for more experiences, more people, more growth, and more fun!”