Creating a country guide for study abroad at a top
university in the USA is a challenging task. Not only are we talking
about the world’s fourth largest country (behind Russia, Canada and
China, if you were interested) but the USA has a very advanced
education system that varies greatly across the country. It might be
better to think of the country in smaller terms, perhaps by region (for
example north-east, north-west, south-west, deep south and mid-west).
Even then there are characteristics between states that are hard to
generalize.
The US has the largest number of universities in
the world and currently has seven out of the top ten in the
THES-QS World University Rankings - Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Yale, Stanford, CalTech, Berkeley and Princeton. In total
there are literally hundreds of public and private higher education
establishments offering a range of courses that you could barely
imagine. The first trick is to work out the kind of courses that you’d
like to do and then bear in mind the cost. Some private institutions
charge thousands and thousands of dollars while others, such as
community colleges, prevalent all over the country, are significantly
less expensive.
Medical studies in the US differ from the rest of
the world. There are no undergraduate medical degrees (Northwestern
being almost the only exception). Would-be medics have to take another
subject in their first degree, whilst at the same time preparing for
and passing their MCAT – a nine-hour multiple-choice test - to gain
entry to medical school. As a result, very few international students
attend US medical schools – less than 0.5% of their classes.
Law studies in the US are similar to medical
studies. There are no undergraduate law degrees. Students take a
liberal arts degree, whilst having to pass the LSAT test to gain entry
to law school.
There are famous hotbeds of learning. Boston, and
neighbouring Cambridge, for example, has a staggering number of public
and private higher education institutions. It seems like every building
around the Avenue of the Arts, Huntington Avenue, in Boston is another
college while Cambridge, home to Harvard, has created a large local
commercial area devoted to catering for and serving the students and
staff of the colleges. New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Austin,
Texas, all have large numbers of students.
For international students the picture is not
entirely rosy. It is not easy to get a visa to study in the USA,
especially since the current presidency made access to the F-1 visa
even more difficult in 2002. If you are serious about study abroad at a
top university in the USA, here is my advice: get as much information
as you can from your local US Embassy, fill in everything you need
correctly in the best English you can muster and if you make the
smallest mistake, start over again. They will find any reason they can
to deny you a visa so don’t make their job easy for them.
As an international student in the US, you will
often begin your university life in a dorm – sharing with other
like-minded international students who are new to the country, or you
can usually opt to live with US students to get a better feel for the
place.
Aside from university housing, home-stays are also
quite popular in the US. This may range from being part of the family
who will welcome you and incorporate you in their daily activities, to
others who will simply rent a room on a tenant-landlord basis.
Another form of university housing takes the form
of fraternities and sororities which still form a fundamental part of
student life on many US campuses. Whether it is Kappa, Delta or Gama,
these college groups offer private building where you can party, or
relax in smaller cohesive groups. It is a great way to get to know
people and they often offer alternative accommodation to university
dorms.
Weather
In a country of this size, weather patterns are
incredibly varied. In the north-east, the weather is generally
four-seasonal with very marked and distinct variations, particularly in
New England. Spring and Fall (autumn) are characterized by beautiful
changes in leaf colours that have people from all over the world paying
a visit. The interior mid-west, and north, have very pronounced and
long winters and summers while Spring and Fall are much shorter
seasons. The north-west seaboard and inland are affected more by
rainfall and fog as warm sea air is forced up over the Rocky Mountains
and is largely a temperate climate.
The south-west presents fewer seasons and a dry
desert climate with a large percentage of hot days and cold evenings.
Further inland, in the south, you enter the plains with their blue
overarching skies, hot summers and cool winters and, of course, a
‘twister’ season that is famous across the world. The south-east is
also hot and sunny in the summer, a Mediterranean-type climate, with
cool winters and, of course, a hurricane season off the Atlantic that
can present complications of its own, especially in Florida.
Transportation
Trains/Air
Despite being the
wealthiest country in the world, the US, with notable exceptions, does
not have the world’s best transport system. True, interior flights
travel across the country linking virtually any city to another with
one or no changes, and usually very cheaply. However, other options are
harder to find. The train system is not the envy of the world and was
not developed as comfortably or extensively as it was in Europe. It is
said that most Americans haven’t ever used a train, and generally only
the major cities have subways, such as New York’s famous one, the ‘T’
in Boston and Chicago’s well-known ‘El’ – or Elevated railway.
Bus/Coach
The famous Greyhound
buses, while interesting experiences, can take a very long time to get
from A to B and may not be all that cost-effective when you take the
food and drink you need into account.
Driving
It is the great
American invention, the automobile, that dominates the US transport
system and why oil is so important to the government there. If you are
able to drive, bring your driver’s license and, if possible,
International Driver’s License too. Each state has separate rules on
driving so check your legality depending on where you are - but
generally you are able to drive in the US quite easily. In Texas, for
example, you can drive for up to three months but, if staying longer,
you have to register for a Texas Driver’s License for a small fee.
Cars are inexpensive and, despite protestations by
American drivers, gas (petrol) is far cheaper than in most other parts
of the world. If you don’t live in a big city you are going to need a
car to get the best experience of America. If you can’t drive, learn
before you go. Or quickly find a friend that can!
Two countries divided by a common language
It is common knowledge that British and American
English are quite different but, generally, you should be ok. If
English is not your first language, keep persevering as most Americans
will try their hardest to understand you. But just in case, here is a
glossary of words that are used in both languages. Trust me, there are
many more…
| British |
American |
| Pavement |
Sidewalk |
| Petrol |
Gas |
| Aluminium |
Aluminum |
| Rubbish |
Trash |
| (Car) boot |
Trunk |
| (Car) bonnet |
Hood |
| Trainers (shoes) |
Sneakers |
| Full stop |
Period |
| Quater past four |
Quarter after four |
| What's up? |
How are you? |
| What's the matter with you? |
What's up? |
| Ground floor |
First floor |
| Torch |
Flashlight |
| Studied |
Majored |
Cost (in US Dollar US$)
| Item |
Price |
| small bottle of beer |
US$0.95 |
| souvenir t-shirt |
US$10.00 |
| litre bottled water |
US$0.95 |
| loaf of whole wheat bread |
US$1.45 |
| New York hot dog |
US$1.50 |
| liter of gas |
US$1.55 |
| 1lb ground beef |
US$1.85 |
| printing a roll of film |
US$5.00 |
Dialing code: 1
Currency: US Dollar (US$)
Time zone: GMT/UTC -5 (Eastern), GMT/UTC -6 (Central), GMT/UTC -7 (Mountain), GMT/UTC -8 (Pacific Standard) |
