8 Habits Foreign Students Pick While Studying in the USA
Your brother seemed like a different person when you last spoke to him. You didn't know that he was planning his big adventure before the pandemic began. And it was the abandoning of his familiar student lifestyle in Hull for an exchange year at a university in North Carolina. You were quite green with envy, as you imagined him attending frat parties (instead of going to nightclubs). He told you about the southern fried chicken, which amused you. (He didn't miss fish and chips at all.) He wanted to boost his CV which would be quite different from the usual internships (or work placements). It made you wondered if you should follow in his footsteps.
You have literary ambition, and you kept on thinking if you must use a pseudonym. If Samuel Clemens used his real name, "Huckleberry Finn" might not bring him fame and fortune. And you were dumbfounded at Clemens changing his pseudonym many times (Thomas Jefferson Snodgrass, W. Epaminandos Adrastus Blab, Sergeant Fathom, and Josh). Mark Twain sounded catchy, which your brother dismissed. You were hurt, but you forgave him after he told you about a graduate student whom he met during his first week. He never wears a mask, and he's not scared of the delta variant. He even sent your brother a video of his hometown in Michigan (last spring). Everyone (in the video) looked happy, and some were singing. It was like the pandemic didn't hit that part of America. Your brother won't be the first one to make a comment on white privilege, but this (graduate) student's views (on Covid and vaccination) didn't sit well with one of your coursemates, an Indian American. Your brother could write a blog about it, but he looked confused. (You assured him that you were listening.) This story was a springboard to the lifestyle habits that he picked up since being on exchange in North Carolina.
I Had an Eye-Opening Adventure Ahead of Me
Driving insanely long hours. Your brother noticed, on his first week (after his arrival), that Americans don't have the same level of public transport resources as British students do. They're much more accustomed to driving long hours across the interstate, and it's fine by him. Your brother is a huge fan of scary stories, and driving would remind him of Stephen King. But you cut him short.
A weekly dose of American football. You were surprised at this revelation, as your brother was a huge tennis fan. He wasn't interested in the G.O.A.T. debate. (Is Novak Djokovic the greatest tennis player of all time? Rod Laver might point out that he could have won all the major tournaments, in the same year, a number of times if professional players were allowed to join the tour in 1963.) Watching live sports was an unmissable social event, and your brother became a Tom Brady fan. (Roger Federer came to mind.)
Choosing comfort. The nonchalant Nike shorts (or "Norts") is a ubiquitous sight in the university while the checked shirts are readily accepted on any social occasion. Your brother was quite surprised at his adapting to it.
Embracing team spirit. You understood your brother's reluctance towards American patriotism and team spirit, but his recollection of those fun moments when sporting team colors to classes (or queuing for photos with the university mascot) made you grin from ear to ear. You find it hard to see yourself in those moments, though. Blame it on the "island" mentality.
Bless you! Your brother doesn't have a clue on the geography in the South, if North Carolina is part of the Bible Belt (or not), but he hears some students (and locals) expressing happiness with the word "blessed" on a daily basis. He asked you if Americans would embrace the upbeat language more readily than the Brits do. You don't have a clue, but you warned him not to say "blessed" in front of your parents.
Solving a difficult situation? Grab a frozen yogurt. Forget coffee, your brother told you one more time, as he recalled the nearest frozen yogurt cafe as a regular haunt for his coursemates who were looking for a midweek treat. It seemed quite peculiar to you.
Becoming more vocal during lectures. Class participation counts for a large percentage of final grades in American universities, and your brother was proud to tell you that it improved his verbal skills. He couldn't wait to show it off to his mates.
Go with the flow. Studying abroad can be unpredictable at times, so your brother learned not to worry about not having a plan for assignment writing (or lacking preparation for an examination). He would play it by ear, which left you speechless.
Much Has Changed, But
Your brother's coursemates cite America's endless traveling opportunities, but he was tied to the coursework. Pandemic hit (when he had a chance). He didn't regret the lost opportunities (due to Covid) because it gave him more time to visit the library. He befriended the librarian. She recalled her younger days when she met a coursemate who was inspired by Henry David Thoreau's thoughts on civil disobedience. His hometown planned to build a nuclear power plant, and he would occupy the construction site and get himself arrested. You waited for what your brother would say next, but he promised to tell you the rest of the story (when he come home).
You've been thinking about the Erasmus scheme, and if Brexit crushed your dream (of studying in Continental Europe and exploring the major cities like Berlin). And then you (Google) searched for the image of the Statue of Liberty. You stared at the image. Overrated? Not.
