By: Andrea Gagliano, Foster Undergraduate

“I never thought I’d be homesick from my abroad exchange.”

Studying abroad was the time of my life. Why? Because I was continually exploring. People, class, activities- it was all new. Nothing was mundane. Life was never simply “just the same.” This made every single day new and exciting. It made every memory vivid and dream-like. I constantly found quirky words and sayings, tried some pig blood when some black pudding showed up on my plate, took a spur of the moment trip to Poland just to explore something random. I had tea in queens English territory, skied on fake snow in an indoor warehouse, went to the same Christmas market three times in one week just because I couldn’t get enough of it. I could find something different around every street corner, and in every conversation.

Amongst all these differences, I did resort to something familiar and comforting- sports. I play volleyball. But even this, at every single practice, differences were being revealed. I call the ball differently, I interact with my teammates differently, I play by slightly different rules. These findings were my favorite. I got more excited about unexpected differences in my day-to-day activities than going out and exploring a new city. This was the benefit of studying in a culture very similar to America. With English speakers, it was possible to identify these small differences between cultures instead of getting overwhelmed with drastic changes.

Whether I was exploring minute, detailed differences, or exploring an entirely new city, I was continually surprised by the unexpected. Now that I am back home, I try to recreate this. I try to explore Capitol Hill with a fresh pair of eyes, or take a conversation in an unpredictable direction. I gravitate towards any hint of an accent. But it just isn’t the same. It doesn’t replace this explorative craving that now runs through my veins.

By: Andrea Gagliano, Foster Undergraduate

When I first got to Manchester, I was meeting so many great people every day. You start off continually meeting so many great people. Then everything settles in. People get into their routine. The British resort back to their long-time friends. The weather gets kind of dreary and rainy. You hear what your friends back home are doing, and you wonder why you left this great life you had at home. I really began to question how I ever made close friends. Not just friends to do activities with, but close, comfortable friendships that make a place feel like home. I was really missing this piece of life and wanted to go back to it. I was homesick.

I was really good at asking someone their name, having a small talk conversation with them, and going to a football game with them, but I was struggling with how to take that next step to being comfortable with them. How to avoid the awkward dinner parties, or pauses in conversation on walks to class? And the truth is, there is no magic trick or strategy. The only thing that helps with this is time and persistence. It took continually hanging out with people until you break that barrier.

Although the friend making experience was a bit of a roller coaster and quite frustrating at times, the rewards in the end were so worthwhile. My heart has been heavy this week, two months after returning to Seattle, because I miss the great friendships I made. In the process, I learned that I don’t need to have super close friends near to me at all times. I’ve realized that I don’t need to hold back in moving to a new location or going someplace where I don’t know anyone because those friendships will come. Going through this process of knowing no one to finding close ones is absolutely invaluable.

By: Travis Rind, Foster Undergradute

The last few days spent in Manchester were bittersweet and filled with some of the most memorable times of the entire experience. Fortunately, most lectures were cancelled to give students extra time to prepare for examinations in January (or, perhaps to have an earlier Christmas holiday). In any case, the exchange students had the short end of the stick as we were stuck finishing up our final essays. Traditionally classes let out mid-December and students return towards the end of January for final examinations. But, being on exchange and unable to return, our assessments consisted of 2,000 to 3,000 word essays. Just two of mine were due before leaving Manchester, so I was working on my remaining three well into the beginning of Winter Quarter at UW. Results aren’t returned until early March, so there is a long and anxiety-filled waiting period!

Already I miss the sense of spontaneity, adventurousness, and openness to try new experiences. Not only visiting, but truly living in, another country forces you to change your mindset, learn to be more flexible, and adapt to the unexpected. For better or for worse, I have returned to the relative comfort of home. There are no more missed buses, language barriers, or unusual foods here in Seattle. While it was often times frustrating and stressful dealing with such circumstances at the time, I now cannot help but long for the feeling of knowing that there is so much left to explore and experience right in the palm of my hands.

Having met so many people from more than a dozen countries, I am proud to now say that I have forged such strong friendships with these individuals and sincerely cannot wait until I can see them again. I know I will travel again soon, and encourage everyone to grasp that opportunity.

My advice to anyone considering living, working, or studying abroad would be to simply do it. It’s too easy and convenient to make excuses for not doing it – it’s expensive, I don’t speak the language, it’s uncomfortable, I don’t know what I’m doing, what if something goes wrong. I’m sure your experience will be similar to mine, in that you’ll find that the similarities vastly outnumber the differences and that at the core, most people are truly benevolent and overwhelmingly welcoming towards others.

By: Travis Rind, Foster Undergraduate

This was my first Thanksgiving spent outside the US, and the first time experiencing it with non-Americans. We took the opportunity to share a cultural tradition and host a potluck. Everyone brought dishes from their home countries to share – with everything from crepes to sashimi! (But don’t fear, we still had the traditional oven-roasted turkey and mashed potatoes.) Everyone was very curious about this distinctly American tradition, and I enjoyed sharing our culture with others.

I was particularly surprised with how wide-spread American influence was overall. Grocery stores had Thanksgiving displays, and even our dormitory dining hall offered a ‘traditional American’ Thanksgiving feast complete with spicy chicken wings, chili dogs, BBQ ribs, and French fries. Clearly there is a bit of a cultural gap that may take a bit more understanding.

Europeans were also very interested and well-versed in American politics. Because the US is such an influential power player in global affairs, many felt that their nations were directly impacted by American policy. The presidential election was followed ardently, and a lot of the other exchange students and locals even stayed up through the night to watch the election results live on television.

These experiences have made me realize how lacking Americans typically are in understanding other cultures. I’m not sure how many people know what St. Andrew’s Day is or can name the prime minister of the United Kingdom, but being abroad has helped me realize the importance of educating oneself about global affairs. Not only is it practical knowledge for being in the realm of business, but you are able to have much more lively and engaging conversations with others when you expand your knowledge base.

By: Travis Rind, Foster Undergraduate

Before arriving in Manchester, I took a month to travel elsewhere in Europe. For anyone doing an exchange in the future, make sure you set aside time either before or after the program to travel, even if only for a few days. It was a nice icebreaker to get me introduced to Europe before arriving in the UK. I’ve only been in Manchester for a little less than two weeks, but I’m already adjusting to the city fairly easily. Despite the business school being a 40 minute walk away from my dorm in south campus, I enjoy the walk back and forth every day – rain or shine. It really isn’t so bad as most people make it out to be, plus I save money not paying for the bus… or a gym membership. The international society and business school made sure that during the first week all the international students became well-acquainted with one another. Already I have made friends from all over – Australia, Sweden, Norway, Austria, Japan… And, already, a group of us have a trip planned to Scandinavia for reading week.

The learning style here is different than what I’m used to at UW. Lectures are only once a week, and some classes also have seminars once a week. The low contact time with professors means that a lot of actual learning is reliant on self-study through reading. I hate to admit it, but it is really hard to find the time to sit and read when there is so much going on! Fortunately, assessments for exchange students are essays submitted at the end of the semester. Hopefully I’ll have enough time to catch up on readings by then!

As the UK is an English-speaking Western country, I didn’t expect to experience so many cultural differences. From the food (it’s true – it’s awful), to the colloquialisms (“cheers” instead of “thank you” – already adopted that one) Manchester has been surprising me in (mostly) good ways. The most difficult adjustment has been paying attention to the traffic. I’ve had several close calls with many more to come I’m sure, but I am proud to report that I’ve escaped unharmed so far. My least favorite part of living here has to be the cost of living. Everything would be normally priced… if it were in US dollars, but since it’s in pounds you add 60% to everything. Needless to say, checking my bank account is never the highlight of my day. However, it’s definitely been worth it. The experiences I’ve had so far are priceless.

By: Amy Imus, Foster Undergraduate

I have been in the UK for a full month already but it has gone by in the blink of an eye. Luckily I have already had some memorable experiences and learned new things about myself and the new city I live in.

I initially spent about a week in Scotland before I moved to Manchester and I would recommend a trip there to anybody. Although I stayed in Stirling, I was able to make trip to Edinburgh and some of the surrounding countryside. I was lucky with the weather most of the time but Scotland is gorgeous rain or shine. The castles, old streets and buildings, and friendliness of all the locals really gave me a wonderful experience and I look forward to returning as soon as I can.

Moving on to the main event, I was finally off to Manchester to begin my study abroad at the Manchester Business School which is part of the University of Manchester. Manchester is known for being one of Britain’s largest cities but you wouldn’t know it just by looking at it. There we only a handful of buildings taller than 10 stories and most of the buildings looked like they were from the industrial revolution era, not from centuries past. This disconcerted me at first but the more time I spent exploring and learning about the city, the more I came to love its unique character and admire the reasons it was the way it was. Now I couldn’t imagine studying anywhere else!

Housing: I was very happy with my rooming arrangements and feel very fortunate to have ended up in Oak house. Although it is a fresher’s dorm, it is so easy to meet new people and there is a good mix of local and international students. 99% of the locals in my dorm are freshmen so it’s nice to have other exchange students so I don’t feel too old! I live in a flat of 3 girls and 4 guys, we each have our own room and all share a kitchen. It might not be the prettiest or the most spacious but it already feels like home. The 7 of us have a family dinner every Monday since we all have busy school schedules and like to cook together at least once a week.

School: Academics here have some similarities to UW but are very different in terms of assessments. Lectures and seminars (quiz sections) are the same style and size and the professors are all nice and knowledgeable. However, the reading requirements are much heavier here and they only grade you on a single essay at the end of the year (about 3000 words). I am taking 5 classes which keeps me busy but allows me time to take trips on weekends and go out during the week.

Nightlife: Being 20 years old, it is so nice to live in the UK! Since there are so many universities in the area, Manchester has one of the best nightlife scenes in the UK. There is always something going on every night and there are too many bars and clubs to count. It can get a bit pricey on the weekends but a lot of students go out on weeknights when there are good deals. The first week of school, known as fresher’s week, was exhausting but so much fun! I managed to make it out 10 days in a row before I finally couldn’t stay awake another night.

Also, just as a side note, if you are a music lover, Manchester is the place for you. I couldn’t believe how many bands/singers/Djs come here! From Armin Van Buuren to The Band Perry to Trey Songz they have so many concerts at decent prices.

I guess to sum it up, you’re never short on things to do here.

By: Andrea Gagliano, Foster Undergraduate

When I first came to Manchester I was not a fan of the city. It was very dreary, cloudy, and I didn’t feel that I belonged – mainly because I knew nobody. This changed very quickly! I now love every day in Manchester whether I am enjoying a night out, studying in the library, or learning quirky words from my English flatmates. When the school year starts, Manchester fills with university (uni) students and it transforms into a very lively city. There is a vibrant music scene (similar to Seattle but bigger and cheaper), a lot of quaint pubs, and a nonstop nightlife just a bus ride away if you want it.  There are also a lot of ways to explore outside of the city. I joined the hiking club and went out on a beautiful sunny day last weekend to “scramble” my way to the highest peak in Wales. The scramble was a half hike and half rock climb along the top ridge of a mountain. Of course, I also got all decked out in red and went to a football (soccer) game – Manchester United versus Newcastle. Being in an English football stadium is such a different experience than in the US. It’s a very pure showing of football. No glitzy lights, music, or other ways of entertaining the crowd. It was refreshing to just purely watch the game and see the die-hard fans break out into song. And, in the last couple minutes of the game, someone from the stands jumped the gate and ran out on the field in mid-play.

The first week I was here, we had orientation all week with other business students which made it extremely easy to meet other students. I’ve met people from all over the world including almost every country in Europe! In classes, it is really interesting to hear references to the US and to US companies. The class structure here is different from UW, because there are two hours of lectures a week, so you are expected to do a lot of independent reading on your own time. Also, there is just one exam at the end of the semester which your entire mark depends on. Although the classes will be challenging, each one so far seems really interesting.

By: Amanda Pressly, Foster Undergrad

When you last heard from me I was just beginning classes at the University of Manchester after a crazy first week. The entirety of the semester over there was amazing; my classes were all interesting (with the exception of corporate governance, the equivalent of MGMT 320), my professors were brilliant, my classmates were super interesting and inviting, and the friends I made are not only numerous but also some of the most amazing people in the world (quite literally from all over the world)!  It is amazing to know you will never feel lonely or sad in Manchester due to the fantastic people all around!

I have never felt more welcomed and at home than when I was in Manchester, but that did not stop me from leaving to see more of the UK and Europe on weekends and holidays. Take advantage of the cheap airlines and other means of travelling; I was able to go all over Ireland, Northern Ireland, Wales, London, Liverpool, Berlin, and Prague for very reasonable prices. For the days when I did want to stay in Manchester there was never a shortage of things to do, there are several parks, all the museums are free and absolutely incredible, the shopping center provides various retailers you cannot find in the US, and of course Manchester is home to the two best soccer/football teams in the world: Manchester United and Manchester City! If you are not an early riser (which you probably won’t be in Manchester) there are plenty of things to do at night as well; clubs, pubs, events, school sponsored beer-fests, it is endless and for the most part cheap, even with the exchange rate!

By the time I had to leave I felt like I had an extended family of people from all over the world and the US. I did not want to leave, but knew I had to get home for the holidays and of course, winter quarter at UW. The first month back was the hardest, I could not bear the thought of not knowing the next time I would see some of them or what I would even do without them to hang out with every day. In the months following my return I made sure to keep in contact with all of the friends I made and plan to see them all in the future, for example my friends from Arizona State University are coming to Washington for spring break!

Again, I will sum up with a list of things to bear in mind in the UK:

• Even if there is a rocky start, hold out, it will get infinitely better
• Be open to meeting new people, if someone invites you to hang out, take the opportunity to make a new friend
• Act as though you are there permanently and you will feel at home
• Take advantage of the inexpensive travelling
• Explore the city, take advantage of all the free attractions
• SEE A FOOTBALL MATCH!!!
• Go out as much as possible
• Make hundreds of friends
• Eat at Gemini on Oxford Road, it has the best food and the nicest guy who gives you free food if you are a frequent customer
• Most importantly, remember that it is not impossible to retain friendships, even if they are long distance.