Cougs Abroad Prompt 10: Reflecting on Change

Cougs Abroad Blog Squad asks me to consider an aspect in which I have changed during my study abroad exprience.

As I was beginning to pack in the few days before my departure, I found myself with a sinking heart and wondered, “Why am I doing this?” Why had I decided to uproot myself from my comfortable life at WSU and at home, move myself away from my friends into a country I had never visited, and attempt to live off the contents of my suitcase and the remainder of my money from work for three months? What was the benefit of making myself so uncomfortable when I could return to the routine of school where I had already paved over the difficulties?

Interestingly, nearly three months to the day I was asking myself a similar thing as I rolled my suitcase to the curb where my taxi waited, tears rolling down my face shamelessly as I said goodbye to the friends I had grown close to over the past semester. Why was I leaving?

At the beginning of my experience abroad I could never have imagined how close I would grow to the country, the school, and the people, and I am extremely grateful I stepped outside of my comfort zone to pursue this opportunity. My whole life I will have the memories of my travels and studies and my gradual acclimation to living in the UK, and if there is one respect in which I have changed the most, it is in my ability to embrace opportunities regardless of how “uncomfortable” they may seem. I am a creature of habit, and disruptions to my routine, especially moving from place to place, I had seen as an inconvenience worth avoiding. Going abroad helped me recognize that I am not rooted to one spot but capable of independent exploration of whatever strikes my fancy, and that there is a much larger world than the trail I pace between Pullman and home. I expressed to a friend once how I found it bizarre I had rested my head in so many different places, from several different hostels on a week-long trip with friends to three different countries in the British Isles, back to my bed at “home” in Scotland. My time abroad challenged me to withstand the “inconvenience” of things like living out of a backpack, for the reward of spending less on luggage fees to see more on our trips was well worth my initial discomfort.

After my time abroad I feel as if my eyes have been opened to the world outside my own, and I know now that I am capable of exploring it as an independent, self-contained individual. Of course it is best to travel with friends, and I am so grateful for the opportunities my travel companions at Stirling helped me find and discover and the experiences we shared. My experience abroad helped me step outside of my comfort zone in both areas of travel and everyday life in a foreign country, and I feel more than ever prepared to face new challenges at home and at school now that I understand myself better as an individual.

Prompt 6: Rethinking Stereotypes & Critical Thinking in Scotland

Cougs Abroad Blog Squad provides an excerpt from an article titled “Slashing Stereotypes,” in which a student studying abroad expressed how he was able to dispel his stereotypes of his host country and replace them with new understanding by talking with locals and learning more about the country’s history. The prompt asks me consider what stereotypes of Americans my host country, Scotland, holds, and conversely what stereotypes I had of the residents of Scotland that have been dispelled or confirmed from my experience here. The cultures of the UK and the US are very similar in many respects, and while I have been here I haven’t picked up on any surprising American stereotypes apart from a poke at our consumerism and “super-sized” industry. In my own experience of stereotyping the Scots, I have found the easy-going attitude that residents are often pegged with is mostly true, but that the concept of “friendliness” is a bit more complex and deserves some interpretation.

In Stirling, my American accent and mannerisms often don’t get a second glance; beyond some playful banter with native students about which words are correct (do you cook on a stovetop or a hob? Is she wearing a sweater or jumper?), my culture is no novelty to the UK, as the English language allows for a lot of similarities between us. I have met Scottish and English students who have seen more American TV than I have, and quite a few people who are very well-versed in American politics (the same is true of some of my American friends in regards to British politics). The University of Stirling itself has a high percentage of exchange students from all over the world, and in several of my classes there are other Americans and a lot of possibilities for interaction with English and Scottish students. However, there is often the stereotype that American portions in every aspect of life – cars, food, etc. – are larger, a statement that in most cases in relation to Scotland is completely true (especially cars; unless you are driving a maintenance vehicle or a larger taxi, your car will not be bigger than a compact). I have heard no remarks about my country while abroad that were vicious or unfounded; while I can attribute this experience to kind, humorous and tolerant friends, I believe that in general the American stereotype in Scotland is no different than our own stereotypes of ourselves.
The one reoccurring stereotype I gleaned from reading about Scotland and its inhabitants is that everyone (the all-encompassing and difficult “everyone”) is friendly. Coming in to the country, I stereotyped the locals as easy-going, genial, helpful, and amiably inquisitive; while I have found that there are many extremely pleasant people in Scotland, the general sense of “friendliness” is instead honesty and a directness, particularly in professional situations, that I am not accustomed to at home. Employees in restaurants, stores and various other occupations on my campus as well as other towns in Scotland can be what appears on the surface as blunt but are really expressing a sort of honesty that would be seen as rude where I am from at home (I cannot speak for the entirety of the US, as the size of the city, the side of the country, etc all play a factor in attitude of a person in a business situation). I have often been surprised by a blatant response to a question directed to an employee, and even professors employ a sort of brutal honesty I didn’t expect from the easy-going Scots. I feel that employee-customer relations in the States exemplify a cautious political correctness and high expectation for positive, efficient service that I have not seen valued to the same degree here. In short, from my experience the average person in Scotland does not “beat around the bush,” and this sort of friendly yet surprising honesty was not what I had has a stereotype when I arrived.

Just as I learn more about the country I am already in my last month of my stay. I hope that in December I will have even more chances to broaden my understanding of the culture and residents of Scotland.

Cougs Abroad Prompt 5: Cross-Cultural Learning & Integration

Cougs Abroad Blog Squad asks me to consider aspects of life in my country that the average tourist would not have to experience and that have influenced my personal growth in the process of living in Scotland. After 67 days here my greatest challenge continues to be adapting to differences in the structure of academics and living at my new university, a part of life distinctly outside the realm of tourism, and how I believe these things have made me a more independent person and student.

While the scenery, weather, atmosphere, and people of Scotland naturally all have their differences to the US, my greatest learning curve was settling in to my dorm and adjusting to life on campus. In the past two years I have exclusively lived either at home or at WSU for greater periods of time, so getting used to new living conditions was the first order of business. Immediately I was struck by the solitude that my dorm, Geddes, provided, as every room is a single and no Resident Advisors/Assistants live on each floor. While the hall does have its own hall assistants (referred to as Accommodation Liaison Students) that live in the building, their role in student life in the dorm was mostly present in the first week as we moved in and to regular checks of kitchens and floors. There was one hall meeting that I recall at the beginning of the year and a smattering of fun hall events, but nothing similar the RA program at WSU, which has been an interesting twist for on-campus life abroad.

Orienting myself to the facilities on campus came entirely in the form of word of mouth from floormates who had lived here the previous semester or had an earlier week to explore. I would never have found the laundry facilities (in a building a few minutes down the street, which operates on a £4 or $6 card for a few washes and dries) without guidance from a floormate down the hall, nor would I have understood the bus system (public transportation in general is fantastic in the UK), found places to eat on campus, or located the two buildings on campus that contain classrooms without trial-and-error exploration. While I first was confused by this approach to university life for new students, who at WSU may receive instructions for laundry, kitchen and other basic facilities in a crash course from their RA at the beginning of the year, I am glad in retrospect for the chance to figure things out on my own.

Cooking my own food for all three meals has become an interesting task in itself that I don’t expect a tourist to Scotland would engage in regularly. While in the past at WSU I frequented the dining halls, Stirling does not have the conventional “cafeteria” but a few different eateries open for lunch or into the night, as well as an on-campus grocery store. As such the cheaper option is to stock up and make lunch and dinner at home, usually in the company of other floormmates, and I have managed so far to feed myself after arriving with basically no knowledge of cooking (pasta is a great invention). The presence of a full kitchen is a nice amenity and I found I enjoy making my own food most of the time.

The academics in Scotland have their own differences in terms of programs, but perhaps the most difficult challenge is the lack of graded material assigned in each class, as my entire grade for at least two of my classes is based on the submission of two essays. While other content is assigned for reading and discussion purposes, it has been difficult for me to adjust to the system in these upper-division equivalents as I am expected to already know how to write and submit essays to the department and to have my grade rely entirely on two pieces of writing. I am crossing my fingers for good marks on my most recent submission, which, in contrast to essays submitted to classes I have had at WSU, was assigned only in the course handbook and was not mentioned by the instructor prior to its submission. No verbal outline of expectations, submission of rough drafts for early review, or any other process of what I have experienced in classes back home accompanied these heavily-weighted essays for two of my classes. However I feel that this sort of grading has made me a more independent student in terms of finishing my work for discussion; since nothing is graded it would be easy to slack off, but I have been more diligent about preparing for class so that I can get the most out of it.

My classes are going well so far and I believe that I am finally managing to adjust to life on the Stirling campus, just in time for me to leave! In just a few short weeks my time here will be winding to a close, as I have two more weeks of instruction followed by an examination period, during which I have two essays due and an exam in introductory psychology. I hope my efforts will translate into good grades, and that I can use part of the examination period after my psychology test is finished to travel one last time around Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Cougs Abroad Prompt 4: Investing In Your Experience

Cougs Abroad Blog Squad asks me to reflect on the goals I set for myself before I began my study abroad experience. While some of the goals have been met, I feel that I have changed the way I want to experience things and am excited to involve myself in “investing in my experience” by setting new, more manageable goals every day.

One of the expectations that I am happily meeting during my time abroad is traveling. Every week my friends and I seem to find somewhere new to travel to, and I am very grateful to have companions that are just as interested in experiencing the UK as I am (I am also grateful to be able to hang out with wonderful people on campus- I have definitely made good friends!). I have seen both nearby and more distant sights, from castles and coffee shops in my own town, to the country-hopping week break from class in which I toured Ireland, Wales and England, and am happily planning even more adventures (within reason of budget) for the coming weeks.

However, time flies when you have fun, and I realized with some panic the other day that my time abroad was more than halfway done, and in just 35 short days I would be back at home – hardly more than a month! In order to properly enjoy the rest of my time here I need to set a goal every day to see something new: whether it’s eating at a new place downtown, taking a walk on a trail on campus I haven’t seen before, or inviting friends to see a sight a little ways out of town. While I might not have much time or money left in my travels, seeing the small things nearby can enrich my experience just as much as my longer trips around the UK.

For the rest of my stay here, my traveling goals are to see a few specific places in Scotland: St. Andrews, Glasgow, the Isle of Skye, and a return to Edinburgh; as well as another short stay in London and a possible visit to Mousehole, Cornwall to pay homage to “Mousehole Cat Day” or “Tom Bawcock’s Eve,” a permanent part of my family’s Christmas celebrations courtesy of the television show based on a children’s book. More locally I want to climb back up to the top of the Wallace Monument and pay to take the stairs to see the view, cross the Stirling Bridge on foot, and find more good places to eat in town before I go.

I have been blessed with an amazing experience so far, and if it were to be ended suddenly I would be content and happy knowing I have visited so many places and gotten to know all the people I have. That being said, I hope time slows down in the next month so that I might be able to balance my schoolwork and campus life and scratch the itch of traveling. I would love to see a little Scottish snow before I go and take part in a few early Christmas activities as well. There is so much left to do and I am so grateful I am able to take it one day at a time.

My goal for tomorrow? To fully enjoy my University “chores” of grocery shopping (online with free delivery to my door, perhaps), laundry, class, dinner preparation and other odds and ends to their fullest, because you never know what you’ll miss when everything changes.

Lens Shifting & Comparative Thinking: In the Moment

The Cougs Abroad Blog Squad asks me to consider a nuance of life in my country that is distinctly different for me than home. While I am in Scotland I often compare my experiences to those at my university in the US, and one of the notable differences here is Scottish students’ ability to live in the moment, as it were, through an easygoing attitude and the surreal lack of interest in constantly texting or using mobile phones. I am as guilty of this as anyone at university at home. In between classes, when walking with other friends, at lunch, or even in class, there is a compulsive drive to check who has texted (and for those with internet, the almost reflexive action to flip through the latest posts on the news feed). I never realized how truly routine this phone-checking was until I arrived at my university here and found myself the sole individual texting rapidly between classes.

This is just one of many examples of the “in the moment” attitude I am witnessing all around me. Every time I return from class, I spot multiple families taking walks around the campus loch, pushing strollers or holding their children’s hands. In town, older couples take slow walks past storefronts. Everywhere in Stirling and other parts of the country are dedicated dog-walkers, simply out for a stroll with their pets without iPods or a phone pressed to their ears. This is not to suggest that these things do not happen in my part of the US, nor am I writing this in any sort of irritation of personal mp3 players and phones. I am still guilty of being the one to rush between activities at school, and after every class I seem to be checking my phone. I can count on only one hand the times I have taken a walk for the sake of taking a walk, and I become easily irritated with slow moving queues, delays in receiving something in the post, or other “inconveniences” different from the hurried pace of life in the US.

There is a strong emphasis on the value of patience here that I hope I can absorb the longer I stay. Before I arrived I had read that in general the folk of Scotland are praised for being understanding, laid-back and friendly, rumors I can definitely confirm from my encounters. Of course it is ridiculous to apply personality traits to an entire nation, but I find that if anything people here are consistently patient, a virtue I lack, especially when standing in line for an hour to sign up for something I felt could have been carried out more efficiently another way. But that is just the point – in order to live in the moment, I have to take everything as it comes, and I certainly hope that during the rest of my time here I will learn to be more restful and relaxed.

What's Happening?

In my second week of school I am still experiencing things for the first time – the joy of finally receiving my debit card in the mail and the wonder at the weather that seems to change every time I look out the window (the saying here goes “if you don’t like the weather in Scotland, wait 5 minutes”).

WSU’s Cougs Abroad Blog prompts me to select a picture which best exemplifies my experience and emotions thus far. 

 The picture here is of an oxbow in the River Forth as seen from a lookout on the Wallace Monument, with a field of green neatly separated from the block of houses on the other side. I’ve discovered the green, lush, “bonnie” Scotland of tourism is not as clearly divided from everyday life. With all the beautiful scenery and history I have had the opportunity to be surrounded by, I realized I must also take the realities of living: draining my bank account the first week I arrived to pay for books, groceries and items like dish towels and pots, lugging heavy groceries for the week through the rain onto public transportation, fending off bees and squirrels from my screen-less window, cooking everyday for myself, paying the equivalent of $6 to do laundry in a facility down the street, and other miscellaneous activities I had never considered when I pictured myself in Scotland. This is not meant to be a complaint, but rather a reflection on my own naïveté; my living conditions are excellent and I enjoy many of the same amenities as I do at home, and it is this clash between real life as a student and the Scotland of travel guides that surprised me so much when I first began to live here. But like how the houses opposite the river bank are beautiful too, I am learning to appreciate both my somewhat dated residence hall and the lush forest trails behind it!

On a tourist train of thought, however, I finally took a few hours with friends to explore the inside of Stirling Castle, an interesting mix of architecture from different Stewart kings – the gothic Royal Palace and the white-gold Great Hall are built right next to each other inside the defenses! 

The Great Hall built by James IV

The Royal Palace by James V

Interior of the Great Hall - no floating candles or Dumbledore, but still very neat!

The smell in the Great Hall was amazing, as the wood work on the ceiling is made of oak from Scotland and held together entirely by wooden pegs and not nails as it would have been constructed initially. The Palace was also beautiful and had many interesting ceilings!

The "Stirling Heads" are historical figures and were arranged in this room to show off the king's lineage and inspirations

A friend and I in the Great Hall

And to end again with food, here is a picture of crisps in a Scottish grocery store. Notice anything familiar?

Walkers is actually owned by Frito-Lay, although Mr. Walker began his hand-sliced potato crisp business much earlier in the 1880s. I bought a bag but haven’t tried them yet – it will be interesting to see if they taste any different.

What to Expect… Perhaps the Unexpected

 A prompt from Cougs Abroad Blog Squad asks me to consider my expectations for the upcoming trip and decide which of them might need to be reevaluated.

July 7th 

My radius of attention expands only so far into the future, but while I have been focused more on obtaining a job and other summer odds and ends, I haven’t forgotten my upcoming trip to Scotland. Purchasing tickets was a momentous occasion – there’s no going back! – and knowing exactly when I am getting on the plane helped cement the journey even more in my mind. The reality of it probably won’t even hit me until I am on the plane over the Atlantic. I can count the times I’ve traveled by plane without an immediate family member on one hand, so while the prospect of coordinating my own departures and arrivals is a little daunting, I am excited to be on my own. While studying in Scotland, I expect to be confused, worried and busy with adjusting to lifestyles and environments, but it’s a challenge I am more than willing to take on.

I have a few other expectations for living and studying in Scotland:

I expect to make friends. Whenever I think of studying abroad, I remember a roommate from Mexico I had the chance to live with my freshman year. She made a lot of friends, including myself, and I expect that I will be able to meet friends in my dorm, in class and in clubs while I am studying abroad as well. An expectation like this will give me the drive to be personable and talk to other students when I first arrive.

I expect not everyone will view me positively. Honestly, I wish everyone would be my friend, especially as I try doubly hard to represent my own individuality and present the best side of my country. The truth is that people may or will dislike me, and I need to move past trying to cater to everyone if that sacrifices my personality and my experience.

I expect to travel around the UK. This may not be realistic, but I am hoping to take any opportunity to travel around different areas of Scotland, England and Ireland. To make this a reality I intend to plan a lot in advance so when my mid-semester break rolls around, I’ll know just what to do during it. Money and time may thwart my plans, so I should be prepared to change an overly optimistic itinerary.

I expect that classes will not be too challenging. It couldn’t hurt to expect the worse from my studying scenario, but I feel that I will not have a horrible time with classes. Fueled by a reassurance from a student from my university in Scotland who I met at WSU, I have come to expect that classes will be interesting, engaging and somewhat challenging, but not all-consuming. I would be heartbroken if my time abroad was spent locked in my room on this computer, working constantly on difficult assignments and unable to manage leisure time and cultural experiences with school. This trip is first and foremost for studying and getting a new perspective on my writing and communications major, but I expect that I will be able to breathe and enjoy it while I am there.

I expect to never be bored, lonely or homesick. Probably the most unrealistic of my expectations is that I will be able to eventually combat culture shock, loneliness and missing home by filling my time with new experiences and relaxation. I see myself as a positive thinker, and hope that my abilities to self-motivate and to be outgoing will allow me to step outside of my comfort zone and shake off any loneliness. Perhaps I should alter my expectation to allow for some mixture of these feelings, but I would deeply regret spending hours on Skype or on facebook missing friends and family when I could be out exploring. With this in mind, I will make a huge effort when I first arrive to avoid things that might make me withdraw or miss home.

I expect to be able to buy a lot of clothing, etc while I am there. Maybe this is the most unrealistic expectation, but I love shopping and intend to pack light and buy a lot of clothing in the UK. The more I think about this, the less this seems like a good idea. I swear I’m good at managing money!

I expect there will be a “learning curve” to life in Scotland. Most of all I am aware that it won’t be easy right off the bat. My only comparison to this sort of feeling is entering college for the first time, where I struggled with pinning down my personality and managing my time between brand new activities in a new setting. Compared to my freshman year, my sophomore year was a little more fun, relaxing, and comfortable, but I honestly doubt I will completely feel this way abroad. The best I can do is adjust to the “learning curve” through experience and realize that not everything is going to go perfectly.  Hopefully this attitude will help me “roll with the punches” when I experience frustrating or confusing things when I first arrive. It will get better!