Remi
Law LLB (Hons)
Texas Tech University
Last year I had the amazing opportunity to study abroad for an entire academic year in Lubbock, Texas. I attended Texas Tech University (TTU) and had the experience of a lifetime. I became immersed in the American college life, and, by the end of the year, I felt like I had truly found a home away from home.
However, this experience was not without its hardships, and, whilst I was able to anticipate most of the obstacles I would face on my study abroad journey, some of them slipped beneath my radar. Here are 5 unexpected challenges I faced during my time in Lubbock which will hopefully help you to prepare for your own travels abroad!
1. Academic Workload
I knew there would be changes in the academic workload when headed out to Texas. Different country, different school system, it makes sense, right? But I don’t think I was quite prepared for the sheer volume of work that I would be faced with.
As a Law student I’d say I am pretty well accustomed to a high academic workload, but I honestly think there was much, much more to do at TTU. I will note that I did undertake a considerable number of Philosophy classes which came with significant amounts of reading in order to be able to participate in class. However, from speaking to friends who also did an exchange in the US, I found that they too experienced an increase in the amount of work they had to complete.
Luckily, the general consensus is that, while the workload increases, the difficulty of the assignments is oftentimes easier. Frequent quizzes, homework, and smaller assignments meant that I head to be much more organised than I was used to. This is something to bear in mind when starting life abroad. You may want to reconsider your usual academic approach to consistently meet deadlines, and, most importantly, give yourself some grace while you adjust. You’re there to experience a new country and culture too, not just to study!
2. Food
One thing about going to America that everyone gets excited about is the food. Fast food chains and restaurants are plastered all over social media creating some seriously high expectations. The reality of a lot of these viral American fast foods is that they’re just… okay. It’s fun to try them initially but some can leave you feeling worse than before you ate them. If you’re looking for recommendations, Chipotle is amazing (much better than in the UK, in my opinion!).
I found a lot of the readily available food was fried, sugary, or generally quite heavy and, while it was fun for the occasional treat, I found that eating like this regularly wasn’t ideal. For me, cooking at home was a much better option.
However, eating out can be awfully appealing when considering the price of groceries abroad. For example, a jar of honey in Tesco might cost around 75p, whereas a similar jar in Walmart could cost between $6 and $7. Of course, not every food item was this drastically more expensive than in the UK, but it definitely was a shock when I first started food shopping. I quickly found myself switching up my usual food shop and opting for cheaper alternatives to keep costs down.
A final note here is that several people I’ve spoken to who went on exchange to the US experienced some changes in how they felt after eating, whether that was nausea, bloating, or weight gain. This may not happen to you, but I think it’s worth considering how your diet might change when you move abroad. My advice would be to enjoy trying all the new food while you’re out there but remember that everything is best in moderation!
3. Not Having a Car
One of the most frustrating parts of living in Lubbock was not having a car. While I was lucky to have campus, Walmart, and a few other shops and restaurants within walking distance, everyday life in much of America is heavily car-dependant.
TTU does have a bus network that services campus and the surrounding areas but using the bus to get anywhere further away into Lubbock could be a real struggle. I frequently had to spend money on Ubers which quickly became expensive.
Having friends with cars was a huge help and made exploring Lubbock much easier. However, it did mean that I sometimes had to plan my days around other people’s availability, which could be frustrating when I wanted to go somewhere spontaneously.
I’d definitely recommend researching how walkable your university and its surrounding area are and to keep this in mind when choosing your accommodation. It’s also worth looking into the local public transport network and creating a budget for the occasional Ubers.
4. Posting Medication
Although this may not apply to everyone, I do think its important to mention for those who require regular medication. Something I hadn’t fully realised before leaving was just how difficult and time-consuming it could be to organise shipping medication from the UK to USA.
Depending on the kind of medication you’re taking, there may be restrictions on how much you can bring into the country or whether it can be shipped internationally at all. I definitely recommend thorough research into the relevant regulations well in advance, as you don’t want to run out of medication.
I also contacted my healthcare team to make them aware of my upcoming exchange and to discuss the options available to make sure I had a sufficient supply of medication.
I would also bear in mind that any shipments into the country could be delayed at customs while they verify the contents of the package. This means it could take weeks or, in the worst case, months for your medication to be delivered.
Getting organised before you leave can save a lot of unnecessary stress down the line!
5. Everyone Thinks You’re Doing More Than You Actually Are
One thing I think a lot of people misunderstand about studying abroad is that they imagine every single day is like something out of a movie. When people hear you’re living in America, they think you’re constantly traveling, going on exciting nights out, and generally doing something new and fun every day. While there are certainly many experiences which are surreal, the reality is that a lot of days are just ordinary ones spent living somewhere else.
I still had to attend lectures, complete my schoolwork, clean my flat, and do a food shop. Some days are incredible and others are so mundane, and that’s okay! I feel like there’s a certain pressure to have to always be having fun or living your best life when you’re abroad which isn’t really achievable. I think it’s really important to remember that social media typically only broadcasts the highlights of going abroad and glosses over all the difficult and boring parts in between. It’s actually these parts that no-one really talks about where you experience the most personal growth.
My biggest piece of advice would be not to get too caught up in what you think you should be doing or what other people expect your exchange to look like. Everyone’s experience abroad will be different, and there’s no right or wrong way to spend your time. Enjoy the exciting moments when they come but don’t forget to appreciate the ordinary ones too!
