Firstly, let me just apologise for no blog posts on here for a while. I could make a lot of excuses but I was just lazy.
As most of you already know (because I post about it constantly) (sorry) I am currently at the University of Central Florida for a semester to study Public Relations. Classes started Monday and so far, its going good. I have made a lovely group of american and also international friends which is good because I was so sure I would be lonely.
So as of today, I have been in Florida for exactly 1 week and I have a lot of questions and thoughts for America and American colleges that I have been thinking about. They range from little things to very confusing questions that I'm not even sure American's can answer...
Here goes:
- Why don't your cars have number plates on the front of them? It kind of scares me a bit and makes me feel like I'm in a futuristic world
- Why are Textbooks SOOOOO expensive? I think the most I paid for a textbook last year was £2 and it wasn't even a required text. I just splashed out over $200 for textbooks and I'm only renting them!!
- Your public transportation sucks. There is none. The only way to get around is to UBER it or call or a taxi. You can walk it but this leads onto my next point...
- Why is everything so bloody far apart? On my first day I walked to Walmart and it took me about an hour. Whenever I tell any fellow UCF students this they look at me with such horror. I don't understand why buildings have so much empty space between each other.
- You don't provide kettles as a kitchen essential which I personally think should be a crime. I WANT MY TEA.
- Why is your tax not added to the item on the ticket? Do you realise how confusing it is that tax is added at the till and the price of the item seems to double?
- What is up with the level of water in the toilets? I'm genuinely scared it's about to overflow when I flush the toilet
- While we are on the subjects of toilets, why do your toilets have such big gaps in the doors? I keep making awkward eye contact with people waiting or washing their hands while I'm sitting down and its creeping me out.
- My accent isn't that hard to understand. I spent so long in a bar trying to order water and the bar tender just couldn't understand what I wanted. It wasn't until a very drunk american girl 'translated' my english 'war-Ter' to 'wah-dur' that I managed to get my drink
- American 'football' is taken very seriously. I mean, some professors will cancel classes so you can watch the match. Every student goes to the matches and the players themselves are celebrated as gods.
- Jay-walking is literally the worst law. I understand its for safety and blah blah blah but having to walk in the opposite direction of where you want to go for 200 meters, just so you can cross a small road, is super annoying
- YOUR STUPID DRINKING AGE SUCKS
- Don't get me started on your date system. Why do you insist on writing the date like month/day/year! THAT MAKES NO SENSE!
- Why are your portion sizes so big? On my first day I was starving after my flight so got a large McDonalds meal. Biggest mistake of my life.
- Your beds are really high of the ground and it feels like your doing the high jump every time you try to go to bed.
- Why don't your plugs have an on and off switch. It freaks me out that I can't control the power that is coming out of the plugs.
- I also don't understand how you can change your major half way though your studies. You stick with your subject. It makes absolutely no sense to change it halfway through.
- Why is there an American Flag in every classroom? I get it, I'm in America.
- I understand that you want to be loyal to your university but if I walked around Bournemouth Uni wearing matching top and bottoms with the Bournemouth University logo on then I would most likely have food thrown at me. Everyone here wears anything UCF day to day and no one bats a eyelid.
- Finally, The point of a tip is that I'm giving it to you because you did a really good job. Having to give a tip always seems stupid to me. I will give a tip if I want to tip...
These are just some thoughts and questions that have been accumulating for the past week. Some are more tongue in cheek while others I genuinely want to know the answer too *cough* gaps in toilet doors *cough*
Katy
x
