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An Itinerary for the Perfect Weekend in New York
by Millie Elwell, University of Maryland College Park, USA Lucky enough to have family friends in New York, I have visited quite a few times over my year abroad. So here is my perfect itinerary from College Park, Maryland (not inc. accommodation).
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The Highs and Lows of College Park
by Millie Elwell – the University of Maryland, College Park.
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Maryland Dhoom: A home away from home
*Maryland Dhoom is The University of Maryland’s competitive South Asian Fusion Dance Team.* Dancing used to be a hobby and now it’s a passion of mine. Therefore, before travelling to America, I knew I wanted to join a dance team. However, I didn’t know whether to carry on doing Bollywood and Bharathanatyam (Indian classical) or experience every American college girl’s dream- getting on to the cheerleading team. I decided to audition for a few teams before auditioning for Maryland Dhoom. Pretty much all the teams rejected me because they required at least one year commitment and I am only there for a semester. It was upsetting because I spent so…
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College in America Vs University in England (Seven differences)
I study Chemical Engineering, and I am only taking Chemical Engineering modules at UMD. So the differences listed below are based on what I have experienced. (It may be different for other courses at UMD). 1.Everyone writes in pencil here! Over the past few weeks, I have realised how much I cross out with pen and waste so much paper. Let me tell you a funny story. In one of my classes, I decided to take notes on paper using a pencil instead of pen. I had to erase something, but I did not have a rubber in my pencil case. So, I turned to the person next to me…
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Initial Thoughts: Maryland
I noticed that I have the habit to compare new places with the place I am familiar with. This includes Manchester where I have been living for 3 years. Maryland is so strikingly different from Manchester.
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My Experience Studying Abroad – A Year On
By Madeleine Taylor (University of Maryland, College Park, USA) I honestly cannot believe that it has been almost a year since I left Maryland and College Park. My time studying abroad sometimes feels like it was all a dream, and when it doesn’t it certainly feels a lot more fleeting than it actually was. When I think about it in relation to my whole three years at Manchester, the six months I spent abroad seem like a minuscule slice of time. But somehow those six months have managed to represent some of the most prominent and enjoyable of my time at university. At first settling back into Manchester was a little…
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Pre departure thoughts for UMD
By Gavin Dunn (University of Maryland, College Park, USA) Well, it’s a few days before I start my trip to the University of Maryland, College Park, and to be honest, it hasn’t hit me yet. I’m definitely nervous, but being back in Manchester to finish work has really got me thinking I’m going to be starting my second semester here. Generally, most of my ‘to-dos’ on my to-do list have been crossed off, but I still feel so under prepared. With alternative assessments taking up the majority of my time over Christmas, there hasn’t been much time for anything else! Overall, this exchange has been around a year of organising.…
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Final Reflections on Maryland
By Maddy Taylor (University of Maryland, USA) Leaving The University of Maryland was really hard. I knew it would be difficult to leave new friends behind and to let go of the travelling bug I’d caught during my time abroad. But what I didn’t expect was to find it so difficult to understand leaving. It felt almost as if I had started over and built a new university experience because everything was so different and exciting. So when it came to the end it was hard to comprehend the fleeting nature of my time abroad, and to let go of everything I had enjoyed so much. I’m the type of…
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Fun and Travel
By Maddy Taylor (University of Maryland, USA). While I did work very hard at Maryland, and it was occasionally difficult to balance work and play, I had a great opportunity to explore the US while on exchange, and explore I did! I think an exchange really teaches you to seize the day, it feels like such a waste to sit around watching Netflix all day and so I’ve become much more proactive with my time. As a result I have had some awesome experiences while I’ve been here. Sports at American College are a must, and so we attended a few basketball games at Maryland’s incredible Comcast Centre. We explored…
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Roommates
By Madeleine Taylor (University of Maryland, USA). I think one of the things most British exchanges are nervous about when studying in America is the prospect of having a roommate. I know I was worried when I arrived – what if we didn’t get along, what if they stayed up too late and were loud or messy? There are most definitely many things to worry over. When I arrived at The University of Maryland, having received my room assignment maybe only a week before, my roommate wasn’t due to move back in for a few more days. I’d done the obligatory Facebook stalk and she seemed like she would be…
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American Academics
By Madeleine Taylor (University of Maryland, USA). So, I really haven’t been keeping up with this blog very well lately and I am about to explain part of the reason why. The academics here in America could not be more different than back in England. I’ll lay out the differences simply: Method of assessment: Here in Maryland I have at least 4 methods of assessment for each of my classes, with participation (attendance, talking in class and sometimes bi-weekly response papers) usually counts for around 20% of your final grade. For me, a massively keen student, participation grades have been great – but if you’re not used to showing up…
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Maryland Bound
By Madeleine Taylor (University of Maryland, USA) The prospect of flying nine hours across ‘the pond’ for eight months is pretty daunting. There will be so much to adjust to and appreciate, and so little time to do so. Not seeing my family for that long is going to be difficult, but I am excited to strike out on my own and throw myself into life at the University of Maryland. After all, my well known motto is: You are a strong, independent woman. And I plan to fully realise this alter-ego on my trip (we’ll see how that goes). Packing was a struggle; how could I possibly fit eight…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
