DMU to USA
De Montfort University Journalism
student swaps Leicester for Georgia.
After six months of anticipation, it was finally time to leave for the airport to head to America. I was nervous and excited, as this was my first time leaving England alone. Leaving my parents was hard, but I knew it would be worth it.
The flight was smooth but cramped. As soon as I landed, I felt the warm air and instantly began to regret wearing joggers. Even at nine at night, the heat was unbearable.
After one night in a hotel, it was time to head to Milledgeville, a small town in the middle of Georgia, USA. The town has one street of restaurants and the university, with nothing else around for miles.
I was picked up from Atlanta airport with other international students, and our excitement quickly started to build. I had a nine-hour layover at the airport between leaving the hotel and boarding the transport to Milledgeville, which did not help my jet lag.
You hear about jet lag, but you cannot understand what it means unless you go through it: an unending headache, endless fatigue and being helplessly unable to stay awake. We had a meeting on campus at 8am, despite arriving at our room in Milledgeville at 1 am, which only worsened things.
I met the other international students at the meeting, which was good. I soon started to miss home, especially walking around Walmart, which reminded me of shopping at home with my mum.
After several days and numerous calls back home, I started feeling better. I was ready for classes to begin.
My classes have been different than back home, with the amount of work required in the United States taking some getting used to. Now that I have adjusted to the workload, my classes at Georgia College have become enjoyable.
I live in Bell Hall, the oldest accommodation on campus. Despite its age, it is a lovely place to live, with the furthest walk to a class being five minutes, which is especially useful for the 9am classes. The only problem is there is only one tiny kitchen in the building with one oven and two hobs for more than 200 people, making it almost impossible to use.
Sharing a dorm room is also a new experience. It is strange compared to what I am used to. Thankfully, my roommate and I get along, as sharing a room with someone you do not like would not make for a pleasant experience.
My dorm room is connected to another via the bathroom, known as suitemates. It's hard to get used to walking into the bathroom and seeing someone in there. The temperature control for our room is in our suitemate's room, which is strange as the room can change temperature throughout the day, or at least it feels like it does.
The food hall is a crazy experience. Unlimited food and drink three times a day is excessive, but you can eat as much as you want. The menu changes daily with burgers, tacos and a different main meal, but it has a few constants, such as a salad bar, pasta and pizza. It was fun at first not washing up or cooking, but it becomes a bit tedious after a while not being able to make your own food.
I went to Atlanta with the International Club during Labor Day weekend. I visited the Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke and the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, home of the Atlanta Falcons, which made for a good day out.
Atlanta is a big city that I could not possibly explore in the eight hours I had. I enjoyed my trip, but wish I had more time there and could have experienced the city with my family.
One of the hardest things for me to get used to has been the time difference for football games. With Saturday games starting at 7.30am, I have been struggling to get up for them. I have only been awake for one game so far.
Nothing beats watching soccer at the pub with your friends, which is hard to do so early in the morning. Pubs are social places, and the heart of a community bars just don’t feel as welcoming or comforting. The bars in town are great, but I miss going to the pub as the two aren’t comparable.
The people in Milledgeville have been very friendly and welcoming, which has helped me settle in and feel comfortable here. Moving abroad alone is scary, but once you settle in, it is an incredible experience.
The International Club runs a festival to allow international students to show off their home country. Being a part of the International Festival was fun, allowing me to talk about England to anyone interested. I was asked if I had met the Queen. I then had to remind the person who asked that she had died. Other than that, the event went well, with people enjoying the quiz I prepared and the British chocolates I provided.
Being from England, I am used to rain and thunder but have never experienced anything like the storms here. The thunder sounds like a bomb is going off. The first time I heard it, I could not believe it was only a storm. I had my first experience of a hurricane, which was nothing more than some rain and a breeze, but the campus had to close for the day as a precaution.
Something that surprises me is the sheer scale of the country. I knew it was big before I came, but I did not understand quite how big. The lack of public transport makes getting around without a car impossible. In England, anything you need is within walking distance. The same cannot be said about America. Getting to the airport is a chore unless you can find someone to give you a lift.
My experience at GC and in Georgia so far has been incredible, and I cannot wait for next semester when I plan to travel around America.
Built with Shorthand