- North America, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook University, New York, Stony Brook, The State University of New York, USA
University Traditions: Roth Regatta
By Rosie Atkinson, Stony Brook University, USA The Roth Regatta is an annual tradition at Stony Brook University held in either late April or early May in the Roth Pond on campus. It involves the production of either a Speedster boat or a Yacht boat made entirely out of cardboard, tape and paint. Teams of current students and alumni gather to make and decorate a boat to either compete with 4 rowers (yacht) or 2 rowers (speedster). Every year has a theme and this year for the 36th annual Roth Regatta the theme was Greek mythology. This year the international exchange students came together to make a boat. We nominated…
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A Soft Start in LA
By Ayero Moro, Australian National University, Australia Before heading to Australia for my year abroad, I decided to break up the journey with a few days in Los Angeles. I figured it would help with the jet lag (kind of), but mostly I just wanted to ease into the adventure slowly somewhere familiar but still exciting.
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Joining a band at UNC
By Louis Cotterell, UNC Chapel Hill, USA Jeremy Stickler has been going for a few months now, and we have our biggest show yet lined up for this weekend. All the stars seemed to have aligned. The story begins on a random Thursday of last semester. I was walking through the arboretum (a park-type area next to my residence hall) where there was a man (Mason) strumming a guitar and singing. I went over to say hi, and informed him that I lived very close and could come join with my guitar. He, as a music lover, eagerly accepted. We jammed for forty minutes or so before he had to…
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Chicago
By Andrew Mortimer, University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada Having never been to the USA before, I was glad when my friend suggested that we visit Chicago in mid-March, as at that point our exams wouldn’t have begun yet. After a bit of itinerary planning, admin, and an extremely empty and early 90-minute plane ride, we arrived (very tired) on the Friday morning. After leaving our stuff at the hostel, we headed downtown to a diner for a great lunch before wandering around ‘the Loop’ and checking out the Chicago River, which had been dyed green for St Patrick’s Day the week before, an iconic tradition there. Once we explored the…
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The 2024 U.S. Election
By Frances Connoly, University of Maryland, United States One of the first things that I did once the term had started was join the UMD College Democrats. I knew that this election was incredibly important, and that I was in the unique position of being in the states to witness it, so I wanted to get as involved as much as possible. Joining the dems was such a good decision. I’ve experienced so many new things and met lots of passionate people who have given me hope for America’s future!
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Adjusting to Life Back in Manchester
By Ava Griffiths, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA Returning to life back in Manchester has been a bit strange.
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Adventures in America
By Sarah Westgate, University of Maryland, College Park, USA To be honest with you, I didn’t fancy a year in the US. However, I was placed here anyway, and in hindsight I don’t know why I was so against it. Sure, the politics leave something to be desired, and you can turn right on a red light (insanity!) but there are so many other things that make this country totally awesome.
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Why Madison, Wisconsin?
By Ava Griffiths, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA Madison is such a special city, and to me, it has the perfect college town vibe. The campus sits right on a lake, everything is super walkable, and the way the city and campus blend together so seamlessly is honestly just really nice, all while keeping that distinct college feel. Now, as you may have noticed, I’m the only person writing about UW-Madison on this blog. And yes, that’s because I’m the only person who chose Wisconsin all the way from Manchester. Honestly, I have no idea why more people don’t come here! Ok, maybe I’m a little biased, but I truly…
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New York City on a budget!
By Saskia Perez-Cooke, North Carolina State University, United States New York City has a reputation for being super expensive which can definitely put some students off from travelling there. But as I was nearing the end of my time of my study abroad in the states, I knew I would regret not making the trip to NYC. But fortunately I found that a trip to NYC does not necessarily have to drain your bank account- it can be done on a budget, and this blog post is here to show you how! When to visit: The cheapest time of year to visit NYC tends to be in Feb/March. I would…
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What to Do in Austin, Texas
By Ava Griffiths, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA My friend and I headed to Austin, Texas for spring break, and we had a great time. It was a nice change to escape Wisconsin’s cold and enjoy the sunny 28°C weather. Austin is such a cool city, so I thought I’d share the best spots to check out if you ever find yourself in the Lone Star State.
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New York City Food Recommendations
By Ava Griffiths, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA I was lucky enough to visit New York City three times during my year abroad, and the energy there is unlike anywhere else. The food? Next level! I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite spots, so if you ever find yourself in the city, you’ll know exactly where to go.
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Looking Back on My Year Abroad in America!
By Ava Griffiths, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA Written on June 8th, 2024: My time abroad is swiftly drawing to a close, with my flight back to London in just two days. As I sit in one of my favorite coffee shops, Collectivo, here in Madison, I’m struggling to find the words to reflect on the past nine months. It’s been a whirlwind of a month, racing across eight different states, trying to experience as much of this vast country as possible before heading home. Now that I’m back in Madison, I finally have a moment to process the fact that I’ll be leaving for good. It is a strange…
A study abroad journal by students, for students.
