03/02/2016, by CLAS

American Studies in Another Culture and Climate: Experiences from the Year Abroad

When applying for courses at the University of Nottingham, I saw that the Cultures, Languages and Area Studies departments offered many students the chance to do a year abroad. Having decided to undertake a Joint Honours degree in Politics and American Studies, and having achieved the necessary academic requirements, I was lucky enough to be given the chance to attend Emory and Henry College in Southwest Virginia. A small liberal arts college in a relatively rural part of the country. It was, as you might imagine, a change from the larger size and busy pace of life at Nottingham. Despite my initial trepidations about being away for a year I can now say that my time studying abroad was an incredibly rewarding experience. I quickly realised that throwing myself head first into life there and by immersing myself completely in another culture would be the only way to truly make the most of my time in the United States. Just as I’m sure is the case with anyone that has moved to a different country there are some things that initially take some time to get used to: the food, the weather, etc. But, Nottingham have made a wonderful link with Emory, from the students all the way up to the Dean of the college who I met on many occasions, and who could not have been more welcoming. People at Emory were just as excited to found out about me and Nottingham as I was to discover the ins and outs of life in Virginia. I made some great friends during my time there who I am still in contact with now. In the months leading up to my trip and throughout my time in the United States the team in charge of the year abroad program in CLAS were great in helping me to sort through all of the various visa requirements that I needed and I would definitely recommend anyone thinking of doing a year abroad to take advantage of the opportunity.

Nathan Brown, 4th Year, Politics and American Studies

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