Study Abroad Q&A

So now that people are looking at studying abroad for next year, I've been getting a few e-mails about studying abroad, usually directed specifically about my stay in Glasgow but sometimes more generally as well.  I'm collecting the questions here!

General Questions

Was It Worth It?
I'm asked this question pretty often in a few different variations, "Was it everything you expected," "Did you enjoy it," etc. The answer is yes! Of course, it was completely worth it. Studying abroad anywhere is worth it, and studying abroad at Glasgow University was one of the best experiences of my life. I could not have made the friendships I made, or have had the experiences I had, if I'd stayed in the U.S.

For me personally, it was a great chance to live more independently.  My college is very residential, and a lot is provided to us.  Having to buy my own groceries, cook my own food, clean my own flat, plan my own time, was very beneficial.  My program offered a safety-net if anything really horrible had happened, but other than that, I was pretty much entirely responsible for my own experience.  It was scary and liberating at the same time.

How Easy Is It to Travel?

Sometimes a rented car is the best mode of transport!

This depends on where you're studying.  It's easy to travel around if you're in Europe, for example, but I imagine it's quite a bit more difficult to travel to other countries if you're studying in Australia!  Most metropolitan areas outside of the U.S. have good public transport systems.  I have yet to go to a country where I've had even moderate difficulty navigating using public transport (though buses in Malta are supposedly unreliable).  It gets more difficult the further away you get from tourist areas, depending on the country.  When I traveled to Japan in 2009, I used public transport exclusively.  In Scotland, I used buses and the rail system anytime that I was travelling without an EU driver.  In the U.S. though, I can't even get to the grocery store without a car, so I imagine everywhere is different.

How Easy is it to get Scholarships?
Like everything, this depends.  If your school or program offer scholarships, those are probably your best bet.  If you're travelling somewhere more exotic than the usual UK, there's not as much competition.  General, large dollar-value scholarships ($5,000-$10,000+) are mostly a waste of time: lots of people apply to them. The more specific the scholarship is to your attributes and goals, the easier it will be for you  to get it.  Do a web search to find the best ones for you.

Scotland/Glasgow Specific

What is the Atmosphere of Glasgow Like?
Somewhere between a industrial and artistic city.  It was one of the main shipyards for a while, and only recently has started becoming a cultural hub.  The West End in particular is full of students and young people, and City Centre has a pretty hip crowd as well.  As you get further away from those areas, the demographics change a little: East End is a bit less affluent and a bit more blue-collar, and the suburbs are pretty much like US suburbs in terms of the people living there.

I'd heard before travelling to Glasgow that it's a pretty rough-and-rumble city, but I never felt that way, and never had any problems.  There were a few times late at night when I was either walking home from a club or going through the East End that I was a bit nervous, but nothing ever came out of it.  Really, most cities in the U.S. are far more threatening.

Did You Like Going Through Arcadia?
So as background, Arcadia University runs study abroad programs for students outside of the university as a service.  The semester I went abroad, there was no one else in my college going abroad, so while the administration wished me well, and were very excited for me, they didn't provide any real assistance.  It was nice to have an institutional advocate, and a bit of orientation, from Arcadia.  I paid my tuition in USD, they translated my credits for my college, and they got me a bunch of perks (a weekend homestay, a railcard), that I probably wouldn't have gotten otherwise.  So for me it was worth it.

Football (Both Kinds)

In the U.S. "football" is used to refer to that game where people tackle each other a bunch to get a ball into the endzone.  In the rest of the world, "football" refers to what is known in the U.S. as "soccer," a game played with a two-toned ball where the aim is to get the ball into a goal net.  A lot of people will say that "football" makes more sense when applied instead of "soccer" because in soccer, is played with the feet.  The original term for both, however, comes from the idea that the sports are played on foot, instead of say, on horseback.

I digress.  February 5th, my birthday, held a great deal of football, as both the Superbowl and a Rangers' game were held that day.  

Rangers' Game

The Rangers were facing off against a team from Dundee, which was supposedly a match favorable to the Rangers.  You can read the match report online if you're interested so I won't go into it here, but the short of it is that the Rangers lost 0-2.

Still the experience in itself was fun.  There wasn't really a narrator, or any kind of show like in baseball.  However, the fans for each side more than made up for it.  Each side had a dedicated section where fans sang songs, danced, and shouted chants to cheer for their team.  They were so loud you could hear them from outside the stadium.  In recent months, police have been trying to crack down on it for fear of violence breaking out, but I didn't ever feel threatened by the chanting so I imagine outside of "Old Firm" games it's probably relatively harmless.

I didn't find out until later, but that game was a Scottish Cup match, and losing it meant the Rangers were out  of the Cup.  The Rangers have also been having some financial problems so in general it's just not a good time for them, poor guys.

I mean to go to a Celtics game at some point - as sacrilegious as that would be to some people - to see if there are any differences.  But I'd definitely recommend a match for anyone coming to Scotland as it's good fun and doesn't take up much more than an afternoon.

Superbowl

It took us a while to remember that the Superbowl is shown live in the U.S. and thus, "starts" five hours later here, so I only got to see up until halftime.  It was playing at a bar in the fabulous Queen Margaret Union, right next to the university, so my friends and I popped in and got a few pints.

There were of course, a lot of Americans there.  A few bars in the city were hosting similar events, so while not a huge deal, it's big enough that people feel the need to advertise for it.  

The bar tried to make the experience as authentic as possible.  There were people who were slightly too drunk who kept yelling "U.S.A" at the television (and I believe they were English, or Scottish, not American).  There were even "hotdogs," served on baguettes  that were surprisingly popular.  

Unfortunately, because Britain sucks when it comes to getting U.S. television, we had to watch the game on BBC, which meant no commercials, thus defeating pretty much the entire purpose of attending.  We did get to see the half-time show, but the jury is out on whether or not that was a good thing.  

Still, watching the Superbowl in a bar with a good amount of Americans was a nice little slice of home in the middle of the term, and overall pretty fun.

How To Survive Like a College Kid

Shameless plug here.  One of my professors (from my home college) just released a preview of his new novel.  If you're into reading, please take some time to check it out.  Now back to miles across the sea...

I've been feeling under the weather the past few days, so unfortunately I don't have much to report in terms of new stuff I've done.  This weekend promises to be exciting however with a trip to Lock Lomond and my first football game in the works, so Saturday and Monday's updates should be fantastic (no promises though).

This time I'll be detailing how I've managed to go from someone who can barely make something in the microwave, to a fairly self-sufficient human being.  

First, I had to get over the whole 'needing food to be perfect' thing.  At home I like to shop organic, natural, or whatever, and I won't eat anything that's marked past the "best by" date.  Here it's a free-for-all.  Provided it doesn't have mold, it's a go.  Even if it doesn't go with anything else I'm eating, into the pot.

Which brings me to survival point number two: everything goes with olive oil.  At the start of my journey, I used to try and make tomato sauce better by sauteing some stuff in oil and then adding it to the mix.  Now I don't even bother with the tomato base: it tastes just as good without it.  Basically, I just put some veggies and spices in a pan and throw them on some pasta and cheese.  Some of the greatest hits are:

Houseplants!

• Cherry tomatoes - I don't even like tomatoes, but put these in olive oil with some salt & pepper and they're fantastic.
• Garlic - Accidentally bought six heads of garlic my first week.  Haven't gone through it, but I've managed to add it to pretty much everything I make.
• Fresh Basil - One of my better purchases.  Found a live plant for a pound at Morrison's (a mid-range grocer), and have somehow managed to keep it alive.
• Onions - Especially sweet onions.

Other than that "recipe," I've made great use of Tesco and BBC, both of which have tons of recipes themselves.  The former even lets you plan out your meals (though their recipes tend to leave out ingredients in the ingredient lists).  Best thing is that they both have all their measurements in "British," which isn't always just a standard metric conversion.  A lot of things (like say, butter, and milk), will go by weight instead of volume or vice versa.  The only drawback is that both sites try to make their food too good, and as I'm poor I have to simplify them a lot.  But pretty consistently my flat-mates walk in while I'm cooking with praise of "that smells good!" or some such.  Which is a big change from the normal response of, "What's burning?"

10 Indispensable Things I'm Glad I Packed (and More!)

A month has passed since I came to Scotland, and I now feel qualified to evaluate my packing abilities fairly.  When I was doing research, I had a hard time coming up with a list of things to pack. All the lists were very basic, and none seemed to actually apply to real people, just generic students.  So, here you go:

5 Completely Unnecessary Things I Didn't Need to Pack

1. A Pair of Warm Boots - To clarify, I don't mean snow-boots, which I did not pack.  These are best compared to Uggs in the sense that they're calf-boots with some sort of fuzzy lining (but mine look nothing like Uggs).  It doesn't snow often in Glasgow - it rains.  Thus, shoes without any sort of water protection will lead to your feet being colder, not warmer.  I loved these boots at home, but here I pretty much only wear them as slippers.
2. My Cell Phone - This stopped working the minute I got on the plane, and I had to buy a new phone after I landed.  While it might be useful when I get back in country, I'm so worried that I'm going to lose it while I'm here that it's just not worth the stress.
3. A Stockpile of Prescription Medication - I wish someone had told me that prescriptions in Scotland are free.  While some of my medicine is best kept consistent, I brought with me an ample supply of antibiotics and intermittent medication as a preemptive measure in case of illness.  It's so easy to go to a doctor here and get that same basic care (for free!) that it's just ridiculous.
4. Scrapbook Supplies - This was a last-minute addition.  Who was I kidding?  I don't even update my blog, there's no way I'm going to get any work done on a scrapbook.
5. Novels - Ditto.  Especially now that my Kindle has arrived.  Emma and Dune are sadly collecting dust on my bookshelf.

10 Indispensile Things I'm Glad I Packed

1. Pretty Much All of My Clothes - Other than one or two items, I wear everything I brought.  Laundry in Scotland is expensive.  If you're really good about hanging up and Febreeze-ing everything you wear, and are great at making a few basic pieces go a long way, you probably don't need to pack as much as I did.  But I'm glad I did.
2. Sample Toiletries - I brought enough to last me the first few weeks.  This saved me from having to make a trip to buy everything until I actually knew where to go buy everything.  It also helped that I didn't have to deal with the stress of the "What's that Brand" game right off the boat.
3. My Favorite Toiletries/Beauty Products - Nothing is worse than realizing that one perfect brand of mascara it took you four years to find does not exist in your new country.  If your skin breaks out every time you use anything but X, then bring X.  I made a lot of first impressions during my first month, and am glad I didn't have to worry about testing all new stuff too.
4. Tall Boots - These are super "in".  Everyone has a pair.  My friends and I joke that they're pretty much the only shoes we wear, and we have to give them days off so that they'll last until we leave.  I have man-calves and it's pretty much impossible for me to find boots in the U.S. let along skinny-as-sin Europe.
5. A Nice Camera - This should go without saying.  I actually brought three with me: my digital SLR, a point-&-shoot, and an analog SLR (for my photo class).  I pretty much don't use the P&S unless I'm going out for the night and don't want to take anything valuable.  My SLR is new, takes HD video, great pictures, etc. etc.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and the money I shelled out to upgrade my old camera was totally worth it.
6. Kindle Fire - I was without this for about a month, and didn't know how much I missed it until I got it back!  Glasgow has a good number of Wi-Fi spots, and when you're using a cheap phone, you'll really miss the easy access to information.  Plus, there's no way I want to buy books here, and the Kindle stores everything handy-dandy.
7. Plug Converter - This is the one that just changes the type of plug and doesn't do anything to the actual power supply.  Most semi-portable electronics will transform power on their own (my laptop, phone, Kindle and camera chargers all have transformers), and nondescript transformers still can't do much for anything that uses heat (hairdryers, straighteners, etc.) and are usually a bit bulky.  You can't do without a converter though, and they're difficult to find once you're abroad.
8. Ethernet Cable - While we're on the technology trend...this is something easily overlooked.  They didn't have one for me when I moved in, and my room didn't have wireless.  While I don't think it would've been hard to obtain, they're so light and easily packed there's no reason not to bring one.
9. Pictures from Home - My walls were bare and ugly.  Photos really made it more homey, and when my room is clean enough to actually have people in it, I always get nice comments on them.
10. Jewelry - They tell you to leave all valuables at home, and true, if you have some $3,000 family heirloom that has been passed down for generations you probably shouldn't bring it.  But moderately expensive jewelry can class up an outfit.  Since my wardrobe is very plain and very black, jewelry keeps me from looking like I'm constantly in mourning or some sort of strange Puritan.

3 Things That Would Have Been Useful If I Had Packed Them

1. Hiking Boots - See above for references to Scotland's weather.  The original idea was that I could hike in my tennis shoes.  But since I'd like to wear my tennis shoes in public sometimes, and don't want shoes I wear in public to be caked in mud, grass, and whatever else I step in out in the country, that plan is less than full-proof.  Scotland is beautiful, with tons of outdoor space if that's your thing.
2. Basic First Aid Kit - I did not bring this because I thought the likelihood of my getting injured was pretty slim.  In the first month I have burned my fingers, cut open my hand, fallen on my face, twisted my ankle, blistered my feet, cut my feet, and cut my face.  When I went to go buy neosporin and band-aids I found out they had neither (the former may be a US-only brand and the latter are called "plasters").  I settled for some suspicious looking antiseptic that I'm still not sure worked, and Tesco-brand plasters.
3. Sewing Kit - The buttons on my coat have fallen off multiple times.  Luckily, one of my friends was sensible enough to bring one with her.

I'm sure there are more in each category, but those are the things I consistently think of.  

Things That You're Not Supposed to Talk About the Everyone Asks About Anyway

Good Evening Readers!  First, apologies for the lack of updates.  I've been trying and failing to stick to an every-other-day schedule due to a combination of not having things to write about and having too much to do.  I'm trying to work on getting back on the schedule and may be back-updating shortly so look forward to it!

Today, I want to talk about the things you're "not supposed to talk about".  These are topics that tour guides and orientation leaders will generally warn you not to bring up like politics, religion, and the "Old Firm".  Despite this being the case, it's been my experience that everyone, from friends to taxi drivers, will ask you for your completely uninformed opinions on them at times when you're utterly unprepared to give them.

U.S. Politics

Those are Europeans

By far the most prevalent inquiries concern U.S. politics.  I'm not sure why Scottish people are so interested  in U.S. politics but somehow it pervades here claiming newspaper articles and TV programs.  I have gotten asked about my feelings on U.S. politics and President Obama more times while being here then I was ever asked about at home.

 And people here really, REALLY seem to like Obama.  More than many Americans do.  This, despite several minor to moderate things that the Obama administration has done to piss off the British.  I'm sure there are people in Britain who don't like Obama, but by far, most people who ask me about U.S. politics seem to like and support him.  Soon into the conversation, however, the average British citizen gets lost in the swamp that is the U.S. political scene, and we move on to topic #2.

British Politics

The Shiny and New Scottish Parliament

British politics don't seemed to be as focused on religious rhetoric as those on the other side of the Atlantic, but the sheer number of elements involved makes it just as confusing.  Currently, Scotland is going through this thing where they're kind-of-maybe-not-really considering devolution/independence.  I'm not exactly sure of the intricacies of the whole thing, other than the fact that Scotland was once its own country and now isn't.

Being an ignorant American does not prevent anyone from asking my opinions on the whole thing, however.  Basically, right now Scotland is under the authority of the United Kingdom, but has its own parliament which allows Scotland to be autonomous in certain things like education and some public programs.  Somewhere around 10-30% of people believe Scotland should be entirely independent. While it all sounds very nice on paper, finding money for things like free education and healthcare might be difficult in the current economic climate.

The "Old Firm"

Football is not as big of a deal here as people made it out to be.  In fact, I've yet to meet someone from Scotland who is even as interested in football/soccer as my dad is interested in American football.  That being said, the Old Firm rivalry between Glasgow's two major teams - the Rangers and the Celtics - is real enough that 33% of religious-related violence that occurred during football season was directly related to football.  Again, being an ignorant American, I don't know why I would have any opinion on this, but people (mainly tipsy older gentlemen in pubs), continually ask me about it.

The reason you're not supposed to talk about it is this: the Old Firm is one of the biggest football rivalries.  When people talk about football riots in the UK there's a good chance they're referring to Glasgow.  Certain pubs will not allow you in if you're wearing team colors - especially if they're the "wrong" team's colors.  I'm not sure if the teams are as closely intertwined with religion as popular myth makes them out to be (The Rangers are traditionally Protestant and the Celtics traditionally Catholic), but as illustrated above they're often attributed to religious violence.  I haven't yet had anyone hackle me for one opinion or the other yet though.

If I had to choose, I'd be a Rangers "fan".  Green just doesn't look good on me.

Licking Stamps and Other Weird Things

Today I made my first trip to the post office in order to buy some stamps and start sending out all the postcards I've been writing.  I was going to just buy stamps online, but the Royal Mail shop is a bit confusing and I gave up.  Anyway, after trying to peel off the stamps for about five minutes, I figured out that you have to lick them to put them on.  The Air Mail stamps, which must accompany the normal stamps, are peel & stick, however.

There are lots of little things like this that are not quite the same here as they are in the U.S.  Many of them, like the stamps, seem completely nonsensical to me.  Others make sense once I consider the context of the culture, and still others just seem like better ideas period.  Here are some of the ones that have struck me the most:

• Kit-Kats, Milky Ways, etc. are not the same here as they are in the U.S.  Some are vastly different, while others are just tweaked.  I have no idea why this was necessary.  Perhaps the candies evolved differently and were just attributed to familiar names?  Either way, it makes me suspicious every time I buy a chocolate bar.
• Eggs are not necessarily kept in the refrigerator.  I think this is because they're mostly free-range, and chickens raised on certain diets lay eggs with thicker shells and some other stuff, removing the need for refrigeration.  It took me a while to find eggs in the supermarket, but now I keep mine in the cabinet and they seem to be fine.
• Traffic crossings stop all directions.  This makes tons of sense to me.  If you stop all traffic, you remove the annoying action of having to cross, then wait, then cross again.  If traffic isn't moving, you can just cross diagonally and be done with it.  Not sure what the effects on heavy traffic would be though.
•   The pharmacy is known as a "chemist" here, which evokes images of mad scientists for me but doesn't seem to bother any of the locals.
• People don't wash their clothes often.  Now I have no proof on this, but judging from the fact that it is three pounds to wash and dry my clothes, I'm guessing people don't wash something after every wearing.  When it's cold though, and you're not worried about sweating I guess it's not as big of an issue.

That's all for now!  Maybe I'll add more as the year progresses.

Free Stuff

One of the best things about Scotland is that there are loads of free and "cheap" things to do.  Museums, healthcare, and even prescriptions are free, and student discounts abound for pretty much everything.  You can get discounts on public transport, movies, food, and even in certain clothing stores.  This seems to be a thing perpetrated "nation-wide" (England doesn't really have the same amount of free-ness, sadly), and makes Glasgow in particular an awesome place to be a student.  Today, I took advantage of a free museum that's just 10 minutes away from my flat and in between my route to and from the university.  Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum  is, like every other museum I've encountered thus far, free. It's located in a building built in 1901, which to my uneducated American eyes looks really, really old and quite majestic even without it being a museum.

You can trek the entirety of the museum in an afternoon if you don't read every single exhibit, and there's a good mix of gallery and history, though I would say that the art gallery on the upper floor is definitely superior to the sometimes strange taxidermy and preservation.  It's one of the most visited attractions in the entire UK, and worth a visit for Dali's Christ of the Saint James of the Cross alone.  There is also an organist that plays in the main hall at least once a day, which is worth just sitting in on even if you have no intention of walking the museum.

Best of all, it is again, all free!  The idea being that knowledge (and well-being) should be accessible, and not hoarded just for those who afford it.  As a student on a budget, I'm all for it!

It's Food Time!

Glasgow has a pretty interesting food culture about it.  There are all the places you'd expect in a big city: McDonalds, KFC, Starbucks, etc. albeit in smaller numbers than many U.S. cities.  Then there are your smattering of pubs, of which no two have the same name (according to the Strathclyde police), and an almost countless number of small restaurants and chains that are unfamiliar to anybody in the states.

Since I've been free from classes for the past week, I've gotten a chance to visit a bunch of great places in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.  Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Tennent's Bar in Glasgow.  This is located in a highly convenient spot in relation to the university, and serves what is, in my mind, traditional bar fare: burgers, fries/chips, etc.  They also have some curry and a few more Glaswegian items on the menu.  Supposedly, they traditionally did not allow women into the establishment, but that's all changed now.  Seemed a little blue-collar when I visited-lots of people in uniform and older men-but that may have been because the term had not started yet.

2. Whistle Binkies, or "Billy's Whistle" as my group has come to call it, is in Edinburgh.  Great pub located in what appears to be a basement (depending on which entrance you take), with some sort of live music every night.  Went there on a weeknight and it was still surprisingly lively.  Not sure if they have food, but they have a good selection on tap and everyone in our group seemed to be able to find something they liked.

3.   Forsyth's Tea Room, again in Edinburgh.  This place is special to me because it was the first full meal I ate in Scotland.  Prices are a bit steep for what you get on some items: even accounting for it being right off the Royal Mile.  However, the proprietor was so kind to me, and the decor so homey, that I felt like it was worth it.    Food ranges from salads and sandwiches, to an "All-Day Breakfast" which consists of things like bacon, sausage and black pudding.  Not a pub, as you might be able to tell by the name, and a place more for tourists than for students.

4. A Glasgow establishment, this Indian restaurant is supposed to be one of the best.  They have a pretty small listed menu, however they seem to be able to accommodate special requests, so if you know what you want be sure to ask.  Went with a group of friends: the majority of whom got "Buttered Chicken," which was very good.  Venture out and get something spicy and you won't regret it either.  Waiters were very friendly and accommodating to the huge gaggle of Americans (and one Finland-ian) that stumbled through the door.

A Tour of Glasgow

Went on a tour of Glasgow on one of those double-deckers.  9L for an two-day pass, and I got it for free because someone had an extra!  These aren't all the stops, but anyways, enjoy:

 

 
 

 



 

 
 

Glasgow Living: Dorms

For reference.  Will take a picture of my room when it is light!

First night in Glasgow, first night in my own "flat"!  It was dark, raining, and incredibly windy when we got here (wind speed topping off at around 55mph in the city), so it's hard to find the place "pretty" as everything is a bit dreary at the moment.  However, all the necessities are here: desk, armoire, bed, sheets, and a pub around the corner.  The closest city super-market is about a 10min walk, and a larger supermarket supposedly isn't too far by public transit either.  Plus, my 1/2 of my program-mates are living in the Kelvinhaugh/Caincross area, so most of us are quite close.

Living in student accommodation in Scotland is a bit different.  Typically, people only live in university housing if they are a) first years or b) international.  Housing also seems to be much less dorm like, with many of the options offering single or "en-suite" rooms, which are essentially the size of a very small hotel room, with the latter having a bathroom attached.  My flat has five residents, each of us with our own room, and we share a bathroom, kitchen, and dining area.  I have met two of my roommates, both female, international students studying as an exchange for a semester.  The remaining two I have not met yet, which I hope means that they are, if not Scottish, at least long-term residents.  One of the other girls in my program has one female and at least two male international (Asian, in her case) roommates, so there don't seem to be the qualms about co-ed dorms that exist in the U.S. either.

Either way, it seems when students get to their second year, they're familiar enough to rent their own apartments.  With education in Scotland being free for Scottish students (along with healthcare, coincidentally), I imagine they have a bit more money to spend on things like rent, making it an easy decision between the slightly dated student accommodations and more trendy options around the city.  For me, it's a roof over my head with everything I need close to where I need it to be, so it's perfect!