Danial Sturge

Host University: Oregon State University
Year of Study Abroad: 2010/11

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

For Fall Term I lived in dorms, in a hall called 'Finley.' I had a single room because I didn't fancy having a roommate. Being 21 living with freshman and having Resident Advisors, basically older people looking after everyone, took a bit of getting used to. Whilst it is the easiest way to meet new people and make new friends, it is VERY expensive and you have to purchase a meal plan which is three times more expensive than if you were to buy your own food. Partially because of this, I joined a Fraternity Winter Term and moved into their house. It was MUCH more laid back and I got on with everyone extremely well. The cost is substantially lower and they even help pay towards the cancellation fee of dorms. The costs for me were 700 a month, which included a room (you share a room and sleep on a porch, similar to that in a hostel), dues to the Fraternity and all food (the house had its own cook). I recommend doing both, as you get to experience all aspects of American College life.

Which department(s) did you study in?

Aerospace Engineering

How does the workload/classes/teaching styles vary to Sheffield?

My first term I took 400/500 level classes, these are for seniors/grad students and the work load whilst full on and at time quite difficult was very manageable due to the teaching style. The second and third terms, my classes were not as intense and allowed me plenty of time to peruse other interests. My biggest final exam was weighted at only 35, this was because the classes tend to consist of homework´s (usually worth between 10-40) a mid-term (or 2, worth around 30 each) and possibly a project or a larger final. Because of this, the final exam would normally only cover the second half of the term, with the mid-term covering the first half. I found this style to suit my learning preference as it did not leave everything to one exam at the end. Classes also tended to be much smaller for older students, and it isn't unusual for a professor to know you by your first name, as there is a lot of one on one interactions. I did also take Human Sexuality (I highly recommend it) which was a class of 400 people!

What did you do for fun/ at weekends / holidays?

During the holidays I travelled as much as possible. Over Thanksgiving I drove up to Seattle with friends. During Christmas break I went down to San Francisco. I went to Santa Barbara over Spring Break, where I sky dived. After finishing the year, I took advantage of a month left on my visa and travelled to: Washington D.C., New York, Boston, Daytona in Florida, Las Vegas and The OC.

The advantage of going to an American College is that you make friends with people from all over the country, and so I would go stay at their house or visit their hometowns around Oregon during weekends.

Another great thing to do at weekends is going to College sport games. American College Football is a big deal there, and the 50,000 seats would be at capacity in the college stadium. The tickets are free for students and I went to every game. Basketball in Winter Term and Baseball in the Spring is also very enjoyable.

Did you join any societies or clubs?

I joined a Fraternity, which if anyone goes to America I highly recommend you do. There are Sororities for girls and you enter your own community of around 4000 within the college. It is a great way to meet all kinds of people and get involved in everything, as it is often the Greek Community (this is what they call it) that organise most charity events, etc. Also, the best parties are held at Fraternities.

I also was part of the Formula Student Team for a while. Oregon State is World Champions with their custom built car and it was really useful to get a taste of true engineering. You have the opportunity to drive the car yourself as they often have track downs, it is something else.

Describe the University/City/things to do

The city itself is very limited in things to do outside of the campus. It has a few shops, but nothing special. Fortunately, Portland is only 90 minutes away, so if you have a friend with a car (everyone drives) then you are never far away from something to do.

Oregon is also a very beautiful state, with endless forests, mountains and possibilities to explore. Mountain biking, hiking, hunting, fishing, camping... it is a dream come true for the outdoors type.

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

Give yourself plenty of time and read EVERYTHING you are given, if you do this, you will have no problem. The US Embassy is quite daunting intially (it also has the worlds heaviest doors) but as long as you follow the rules and signs, everything will be fine. The checklist the Study Abroad team give is vital, make sure everything is ticked off and you won't have a thing to worry about.

Could you give any advice or tips to a student preparing to go or tell them anything you wished you knew in advance?

I wish I knew how expensive the dorms would have been compared to everything else, there is not much you can do about it other than maybe prepare yourself or even, go out a bit earlier and look for a house off campus. I don't recommend the latter, as you'll miss out on a lot and it can always be done later on in the year. Make sure you are aware of all the costs upfront, I was taken back a couple times when I read my bills, when actually I didn't pay enough attention to the guide book provided by Sheffield.

Would you say it is cheaper or more expensive to live than Sheffield?

Much cheaper, to put it simply, everything in America is the same price as in England, except in dollars. For example a burger at home would cost 4, in America is costs 4. However, with having to pay Health Insurance, Visa costs and flights it evens out. What really did put me over the edge money wise was the amount of travelling I did, but I had to make most of the opportunity that I had in front of me.

Any other comments?

Where ever you go, you'll have the best year of your life. I know I did, I've made life long friends and fell in love with another culture. I plan on going back over Christmas Break and I encourage everyone to do it!