The First Few Days

Once I got off the plane and gathered my things the large group of us going to Keele grouped together to wait for our bus that would take us to the campus. The bus ride was nice, about 45 minutes and I got to see the English countryside for the first time. It really is beautiful. Getting to campus and figuring things out was a little confusing because we had a lot of free time on the first day because others were sill arriving. I got to my room and started unpacking then I went on a Campus tour. I was very hesitant the first day because there were so many unknowns. I went to bed early hoping in the orientations the next day I would get more answers.

Over the next few days I met with tutors (advisors) and got my modules (classes) all figured out. I also sat through some orientations which definitely helped me feel more comfortable. On Thursday the school took us to the grocery store to get some basic things. It was nice to get some food and other things I needed. Carrying all the groceries back was a pain though, so in the future I think I will get them delivered. I'll let you know how I get on with that. On Friday night the people in my block invited me to go dancing with them and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I hope we can go again sometime. Saturday and Sunday have mainly been for relaxing before classes start, but tonight I am going to the cinema with the people from my block.

All in all, a lot of the things I was worried about was for nothing, I'm meeting some great people and the people on my block really are including me - I think they like that I am American:). On occasion I have difficulty understanding someone if they speak too quickly or use a phrase I don't understand, but I just ask them to repeat it and I'm good to go.

Here I will list some things that I have been noticing about England/Keele so far: Remembering to walk on the left side of the sidewalk is incredibly difficult. It's cold and rainy just like I was told it would be. The bus drivers are very nice here. People actually go to the school functions. You think something is really cheap then you realize its almost twice as much because of the conversion from pounds to dollars. Instead of pulp (in orange juice) they call it bits, and the same goes for seeds in jam. I have a harder time understanding adults' accents than I do people my age.

If you have any questions about how I'm getting on or other things I've noticed, just comment and I'll try to answer in the comments or in another post.

"It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights." -Psalm 18:32-33