Culture Shock and Academic Adjustments

I must be feeling guilty about all of my sappy-sweet posts. It’s time for some cold, harsh realities! Even though my overwhelming impressing of Scotland has been absolutely blissful, I have faced several “culture shock” moments. Studying abroad is about studying all aspects of society, including the uncomfortable ones.

First of all, Scots are known for drinking – a lot. Being from a conservative Southern American background, the sheer presence of alcohol has been an adjustment. Even in our halls of residence, alcohol is totally allowed and accepted; people throw back cold ones in the foyer, in the kitchens, and even in their rooms. In defense of my peers, most students socially drink to relax from the day; then again, many students do drink to get absolutely plastered. I’m not opposed to sipping the bubbly but will always draw the line at drunkenness. (Thank you, Prohibition!)

Along those same lines, Europeans are far more comfortable with co-ed environments than I am. For example, all the halls I’ve seen at St. Andrews are co-ed. Coming from a college where male and female dormitories are deliberately separate, this freedom also came as a shocker. Many of my friends were a bit surprised to hear of the stringent visitation rules at Berea College, just as I was surprised to find that my neighbor was a guy! At first I was hesitant to tell my family that New Hall was co-ed, but I think we’ve adjusted to the fact. If you don’t want a guy in your room, don’t invite them over. It’s very simple.

On a far more superficial note, a huge moment of culture shock came for me when I discovered that Brits have to pay to watch television. You heard me right. In Britain, the BBC has total control over the media and subjects must purchase a television license to watch the news, or EastEnders, or whatever. I’m sorry to say that my first reaction was, “But I’m an American!” Honestly, this problem doesn’t really affect me at all since I’m not a huge television person anyway. Still, my “home of the free” mentality was temporarily wounded!

In terms of classes, I knew that the traditional British university was more independent before I came. But sometimes, even though we know what to expect in advance, the reality can be difficult to accept. As excited as I am to be studying English Literature, I’ve found the course work difficult to balance. For an instance, this week I didn’t finish a book in time for one of my modules. Sitting in seminar today I could almost picture a huge, flashing, neon sign on my forehead, giving the dirty secret away. What kind of English Literature major has problems with reading? I felt like a criminal for not honoring my lecturer with my best effort. Because the British system is far more independent, professors and students are each expected do their bit. Marks for the semester come from two essays and final examination; reading through the material is totally done your own pace. This problem, however, did follow me from across the pond. Last semester I had difficulties finishing up all the reading for both English courses. Fellow classmates - who were absolute angels! - encouraged me to not be too hard on myself. All I can do is try to finish up the reading and begin again with next week’s material.

Hopefully this post wasn’t too depressing for my dear readers! On the whole, I’m having a wonderful time in Scotland. Day after day, I am reminded why God sent me to St. Andrews as opposed to any other university; this place is becoming so special. On Saturday a group of us are going to Stirling Castle, so look forward to awesome pictures and prepare to get your Braveheart on!