From Manchester to Madison: My First Week as a Badger

By Orla Feeley, (University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA)

First week as a Badger officially completed, and somehow it already feels like I’ve been here for much longer (in the best way possible). After arriving in Chicago and getting a 3-hour coach to Madison, I arrived at my dorm and immediately ordered Chick-fil-A, as one does when in America. I spent the first day acting as a tourist in the city: walking past Camp Randall Stadium, exploring the Memorial Union, walking up State Street, seeing the Capitol, and, of course, making my way to Lake Mendota.

One thing I learnt very quickly: Midwest winters are not for the weak. When people warned me about the cold, I thought I could bear it. Severe underestimate. Temperatures reaching as low as -35 degrees are no joke, and I learnt that the hard way. Scarves, gloves, thermals, fluffy socks. Despite the weather, I fully immersed myself in the school spirit, heading to the merch store so I wouldn’t be the only one in the dining hall not wearing a red “Wisconsin” sweatshirt.

From the rows of frat houses lining the streets to sharing a room with a freshman who’s in a sorority to having a soft-serve ice-cream machine in the dining halls, it is all very American. Even between classes, people were playing ice hockey on the frozen lake and having snowball fights on Bascom Hill, in the face of a snowstorm.

Madison also has a huge exchange student community, which has made settling in much easier. I’ve already met people from Dublin, Leeds, Sydney, and Amsterdam. We’ve bonded over our shared mission to try Raising Cane’s and over the fact that Americans will not stop mentioning how much they love our accents. (It hasn’t gotten old… yet.)

Academically, the culture shock has been real. The UK university system feels almost otherworldly compared to how things work here. My largest class is 20 students – a mix of first, second, third, and fourth years – and no one has their laptops out. My professor, who knew my name by the first day, expected us to write a paragraph on a piece of paper and hand it to him during class… I felt like I was in year 7 again. It’s more personal, more intense, and definitely an adjustment—but one I’m already starting to enjoy.

Time flies by when you are here. The days are super busy, and I am still not accustomed to the 6-hour time difference from home. Between meeting new people, exploring the city, and settling into classes, my first week disappeared before I realised it. Moving from Manchester to Madison has been a leap, but already, I don’t want to leave. It has been so hectic, and that’s with no studying yet. I’m cold, slightly overwhelmed, and very well-fed!