College Revelations

Joggers > Jeans

Everyone wears what they want but overly compared to London students here (UMass) are so much more casual. They wear anything from tracksuit bottoms, pajamas to jeans for lectures
Buy a water bottle! I recommend a Hydroflask, but Stanley’s are becoming more popular. There are Britta stations everywhere here where you can fill up your water bottle. In come in handy sooo much and of course as s student it’s extremely important to stay hydrated.

American Football < Ice Hockey

   Not even going to debate this one. Ice Hockey Games are 1000 time better than American Football games. I still don’t know how American football works but it doesn’t take away from the fact that games are slow, long, and boring. Even the UMass students here tell you not to go to the game…but that might be something to do with the fact the UMass Amherst football teams are the second worst in the country. Anyways, ice hickey games are fast paced, competitive, and sooooo fun. The ability to go to these massive stadiums and see such amazing sports, performances, and fans (football included) has been one of the best parts of the American college experience.

Clubs

It’s harder to be a complete beginner and join clubs. For example, I joined the University chorale and I had to audition! That was definitely unexpected, but everyone was really nice and friendly, so it wasn’t too bad.

Opportunity to take different classes

Despite it being harder to join clubs as a beginner, there is a lot of opportunities to take classes that you are interested in, that may not be directly related to your major. I think this is such a good thing about the American college system as you can explore your various interest and subsequently it can help you understand and find what you actually find interesting.

Campus Life vs City Life

This is a hard one. I love going to University in London. Something about walking through the city and going to class make me feel so powerful. On the other hand, having everything on campus – that being your dining halls, dorm, sports stadiums, gyms, health clinic, library, classes and literally everything makes living on campus not only convenient but also feel like home. This is very helpful when living abroad. Having everything close makes it easier ti meet up with friends, go to events together and bond.

Peter Pan 

Not the Peter Pan you’re thinking of. The Peter Pan Bus! For just $30 you can take a bus ride to major cities such as Boston and New York. This counters the feeling of being stuck on campus. A major city is just an affordable bus ride away, ready for you to explore.
I’m not sure why that sounded like an advert.