Almost a
month ago I arrived at the University of Essex to study Economics. This is my
first time studying in a foreign country, and in a foreign language. Needless
to say – I was excited and a tiny bit worried. I have been to England before,
also visited an English university for two weeks, so I had a bit of knowledge
about the whole scenario.
The culture
in England doesn't differ that much from the culture at home, so the biggest “culture
shock” for me might be the food. Although the food here is ok, I do miss Norwegian
food, and tastes. For instance, buying minced meet and a pack of taco-spice
(from the same brand as the one I use back home), shouldn't be that different
in taste. But it is. Disappointingly. The milk on the other hand, is surprisingly
similar. I was worried about this part as I have never ever drunken milk in a
foreign country before (not even England), and to my satisfaction it is just
fine. If it was not, I would have died… Milk is essential!
Living on
my own. This part is not new to me. I am 23 and have lived away from my parents
for a total of 4 years. But the last six months before I came here, I did live
at home, so naturally I miss not having to cook dinner for one, or not having
to cook dinner at all. On the other hand, I like the privacy. And I like the
feeling of being able to manage on my own. After I am done studying, I am more
than ready to move in to my very own house and start my life as a grown-up. I
would have been ready now.
So what is
my first impression of the University? I have been studying at two universities
in Norway as well, but they are smaller in size, have fewer students, and are
not as old and established as the University of Essex. But on the other hand,
as happens at home, it seems they mess up things – like timetables and rooms –
in Essex too. One of my worries before I came was learning in another language.
So far it’s going fine. And I hope it will continue to. If I struggle with a
word or two, I’ll always have Google. Also, before I came here, I knew that this
is a multicultural school. I did, however, expect some more Englishmen than
what I have met until this point. And I did definitely NOT expect as many Norwegians!
They are literally everywhere…
All in all,
I like it here. I do miss home, but I get to go home every term-break if I want
to, and that helps a lot. I'm not really shocked by the differences as these are
things I already knew about, and because my own country is alike in many ways.
I love how polite and friendly people here are though. And even if the British
are a little reserved, I feel more than welcome.
I’m excited
to see how my life here develops as the months go by
No comments:
Post a Comment