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Travelling and Final Highlights
Although a little delayed, it has taken me a while to appreciate and reflect on my time abroad. My second semester was packed with ceaseless moments of embracing the rest of my time abroad. I felt a sudden urgency to make the most of everything and every opportunity and as I result found myself buried in work in my free moments. The big difference with America is the constant stream of work which you receive from all classes you undertake, largely different to the few assignments each semester that my professors at Manchester would set. Therefore I, like many others at the university, would spent my entire evenings in the…
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Semester Two so far…
Arriving back in Chapel Hill was really difficult given the change around that had happened. My roommate had moved out and I didn’t know my new roommate at all yet. It felt like I was having to settle in all over again, especially considering the excitement of the Christmas break had now come to an end and I was having to adjust back to getting down to work. I also started working at the Student Stores – a 3 storey shop in the centre of campus which sells everything from textbooks to everything you could ever want in Carolina colours. I am now 6 weeks into term and it has…
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Christmas Break
Meeting my parents and sister in Tampa, Florida was a big sigh of relief. I had made it through four months without them successfully, the longest time I have ever spent away from the three of them. I had also academically made it through my term and finished my exams and could now relax and enjoy the holiday. I arrived to the airport to my sister (Jennie) standing at the bottom of the escalator and then met my parents a little later in our hotel’s lobby. We left the hotel the next morning to head down to a small island about 2 hours south of Tampa called Sanibel. Sanibel is…
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Almost half way through…
Living the US for 3 months by November had provided a lot of experiences. Therefore, I decided that making the decision to stay out here for the Christmas break would only enhance my experience. I was lucky enough to be able to convince my parents and sister to join me too, and November saw the flights get booked and the holiday be planned. I would then fly to LA to visit my other sister who lives there with her family. I was excited to say the least, especially as this would help me push through the last couple weeks of the semester.
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Settling In
I never thought I was properly settled into Manchester until second year. Getting to know everything about the city, the best places to go and how to get from place to place took a little while, and so it also took a little while to realise how great the city was. Problem is that I’ve only got a year to live here in Chapel Hill, so settling in may have to be a little quicker. In comparison to when I wrote my first blog I certainly feel more settled. I am far more aware of the way the Americans do it, and the way that the Carolinians do it. But…
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Departure and Arrival – First Impressions of UNC Chapel Hill
Following a summer of overthinking, over-talking and over-preparing, I was suddenly at the airport. But let me tell you, I can’t skim over the preparations because they, for sure, are a huge part of the adventure. Particularly when embarking on an exchange to the U-S-of-A, admin is high due to the procedure required to obtain a visa. It was nothing to be overwhelmed by, but definitely something to be wary of and organised about. From filling out forms, being alert of due dates and attending a very early morning interview, not to mention the charges to gain a visa, the task was hard work. Applying to Manchester and the University…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
