By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
So this is my eighth and final blog (try not to get too upset) and its basically just a short one to talk about what it’s like being back in Manchester, post-Illinois.
Tag: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
End of exchange reflections (penned somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean when I really should have been trying to sleep)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
So 10 months later and I’m permanently back in the land of real bacon, correct spellings, day/month/year and people who know how to make a proper cup of tea (I’ve had 12 already). For my final blog, instead of getting all sappy and emotional about how amazing this year has been I thought I’d finish off by sharing some of the worldly wisdom I’ve acquired since August. Here are a few of my top tips and insider hints for studying abroad at the University of Illinois, navigating the USA in general, and for all of those things you think will never happen, but actually did:
(interspersed with various photos from UIUC post-spring break and summer travels)
Spring Break Travels (or Cuba: Fun yet Maddeningly Frustrating)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
“Fun but maddeningly frustrating” is the line used to describe Cuba on the back of the Lonely Planet Guide and by the end of our second day in the country, it had pretty much become our mantra for the trip.
If you’d asked me a year ago where I thought I’d be spending my spring break while on exchange in the USA I’d probably have said Mexico, or Florida, or some other typical location known for its beaches and partying. Then one day someone mentioned off-hand, “Guys, wouldn’t it be hilarious if we went to Cuba for spring break?”.
I’ll admit there was something enticing about the idea of, while on our American exchange, spending our break somewhere that Americans can’t actually go (at least not just for tourism reasons) and after triple checking with the international office at Illinois and various embassies that, yes, we would be allowed back into the country after having gone to Cuba, our spring break plans really started to take off.
Continue reading “Spring Break Travels (or Cuba: Fun yet Maddeningly Frustrating)”
Semester Two Update (or its midterm season again so seems like the perfect time to start writing another blog)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
I’m now five weeks into my second semester here at UIUC, so it’s probably a good a time as any to talk a bit about what it’s like being back on campus, what I’ve been up to so far, what’s different about this semester and what’s very much the same.
Academic differences in the USA (because it’s not called “study” abroad for nothing)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
So now that I’m officially half-way through my exchange and no longer in the midst of the panic and stress of final exams I thought it would be a good time to take a step back and talk about the actual “study” part of studying abroad. Continue reading “Academic differences in the USA (because it’s not called “study” abroad for nothing)”
Thanksgiving Travels (or the real reason I went on study abroad in the first place)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
So here it is. After 13 weeks, 8 midterms, 9 lab reports and countless homeworks and surprise quizzes we finally got a week off. Thanksgiving break; the first decent length of time I’ve had to escape Illinois and actually see some of the country I’ve been living in for the past three months. As any of you who are friends with me on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat will know I definitely made the most of the (much needed) time off as me and a couple of other fellow Brits set off on an East coast adventure I like to call “One Week, Four Cities”.
Arrival reflections (how temporary housing turned out to be the best thing to ever happen to me)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
Actually that’s not totally true but I’ll get to that later…
Pre-departure reflections (getting ready for American football, cheerleading and Chipotle)
By Elizabeth Pace (Chemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA)
So it’s less than a week before I set off to the USA for my year abroad and I’m currently sat printing out every single email I have ever received from my partner university (as per my mum’s instructions) and trying to sum up my feelings about going.