Sarah Jennings

University Degree Title: BA Politics
Host University: Oregon State University
Year of Study Abroad: 2009-2010

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

Hawley Hall, it was a lovely hall in a perfect on-campus location with a very sociable environment, however the halls were very expensive in comparison to Sheffield halls and also I found it very strange sharing with first year students as I am 22 myself. I would recommend a private residence for older students.

Which department(s) did you study in?

Political Science Department. All my modules were in politics, it was a wonderful department with a range of very competent and welcoming professors, in particular the head of department Prof. Lunch. I also took Scuba Diving as a Physical Activity Class (PAC) which was a wonderful and exciting experience.

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

I found the work very intensive, particularly in the first term as I had extremely little prior knowledge of American Politics. The classes were of about 20-30 students which reminded me very much of my UK College, with constant teacher-pupil interaction. The assignments are continuous, there is always the equivalent of homework and papers to be done which contribute to the final grade. This does however mean that pressure is taken away from the final exam, also throughout the term there is strong guidance and opportunity to improve your grade.

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

I travelled. It is impossible to put into words how wonderful this was! We hired a car and took weekend trips to Washington, to the Oregon Coast, Portland or Seattle, the Columbia River or Mount Hood for example. At Christmas we travelled throughout California and in Spring did a roadtrip covering eight states, reaching as far as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota. I found a love for camping, also there are plentiful, lovely yet inexpensive hostels and motels for young travellers.

Did you join any societies or clubs?

I became secretary for the European Student Association, this was lots of fun as I met very interesting and wonderful people from all over Europe. We organised many events for European students, which I was then able to thoroughly enjoy, such as a trip to the coast, an aquarium, a brewery, a ski-trip and also a formal evening dinner with performances on stage. Also I joined the Life-Sciences Club which I would highly recommend, they welcome students of any degree subject! We had weekends rock-climbing, camping, snowshoeing and mountaineering. It is a perfect area to enjoy the outdoors!

Describe the University/City/things to do

The University campus is very beautiful, it has a peaceful environment which promotes studying. Corvallis is a small town, thus there is very little in the way of night life or things to do in the evening. Public transport to Portland consists of a very inconvenient and suprisingly expensive Grey Hound bus which runs twice a day. The university and residence halls arrange many social events, we particularly enjoyed cinema nights in the Memorial Union or the bowling alley there. However the best idea it seemed was to study hard during the week and travel at weekends.

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

I found there was more of a cultural difference between us and the American´s than I expected, however, they are extremely welcoming and I made some trully wonderful friends which I hope to keep for a long time. Expect some difficulty in adjusting and home-sickness, we all experienced this.

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 had known how much it rains in Oregon! The rain began two weeks after we arrived in September and did not stop until the end of the academic year in June. We did become used to this and not allow it to prevent or effect our travelling, although it further limited what there was to do on campus. It is near impossible to get anywhere without a car, or a friend with a car.

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

In general food, petrol, clothing and every commodity is cheaper in the US and particularly in Oregon as there is no sales tax. However, the residence halls were more expensive. Health insurance is expensive and compulsary, also I was shocked at the extra fees the university charged me such as for using the library and gym. These are not optional and equated to about $600 each term. Overall it was therefore more expensive.