Terri Cleary

University Degree Title: Biology with a Year Abroad
Host University: Oregon State University
Year of Study Abroad: 2009/10

Where did you live? Would you recommend it?

I lived in Finley Hall, which was great because it was one of the few halls open over the breaks (most of them require students to move out for holidays- Christmas and Spring Break). I would definitely recommend it because it wasn´t an "international" hall- most of the people on my floor were American students, and I found that better because I was integrated into the community faster than if I was isolated with just international students. That being said, there were also a few Australians on my floor, who I got on with immensely! My roommate was American, however, and she was awesome!

Which department(s) did you study in?

I studied in the Zoology and Biology departments, taking a few classes out of other biological-based departments also.

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

The teaching style is mostly the same, though I found the teaching here was more "hand holding" than we get in Sheffield. What I mean by that is that you have a lot more direction given to you by the lecturers, whereas in Sheffield a lot of the study is self-directed.

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

There was plenty of stuff to do around campus at weekends- since I don´t drink too much, I preferred to hang out with my friends at the weekend. It´s completely safe to walk around campus in the early hours, so it was no problem getting home late!
Since I was under 21 whilst at OSU, I found it difficult at first to travel anywhere, since I couldn´t rent a car (minimum age was 21 in Oregon). I soon found friends, however, who were 21 and so we managed to go on a couple of mini roadtrips up into Washington and down to see the redwoods in California. Those trees are huge! I was also very lucky to go to Crater Lake, which I´d wanted to go to at the beginning of the year- it´s really pretty, and still covered in snow in May! I also explored most of Portland, which is a really great city. I also went to DC and New York in the summer, which was amazing!

Did you join any societies or clubs?

I didn´t join any societies or clubs- I was far too busy having fun with my friends, and there weren´t any clubs that interested me! I wish I had joined the Humans VS. Zombies game that they had on campus though- it looked like fun!

Describe the University/City/things to do

Corvallis is a small college town, so it´s nothing like Sheffield with respect to nightlife or shopping- the best shopping is up in Portland! Still, the town itself is cute, and it still has a big cinema and loads of places to eat, so it´s all good! The actual campus is all in one place, so everything is walkable. In fact, the whole town is pretty much walkable. The main university building, the Memorial Union, is huge and pretty- it also has a big lounge with comfy sofas that you can nap on between classes!

Could you give any travel or immigration tips?

The wait for the visa in London is LONG. Mine took three hours, so make sure you have plenty of time set aside for it! Also, keep all your travel docs handy for when you get both to the check in counter in the UK and for immigration in the US.

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

Make sure you actually do have the money to do this- it is gonna cost you, and my loans didn´t cover all my fees, even though I got a higher rate for going abroad!
On a lighter note, my other tips is to talk to EVERYONE. You´ll make friends faster that way, and you´re instantly awesome because you´ve got a British accent!

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

I would definitely say it was more expensive to live in Oregon, because of all the random fees they liked charging, but I managed fine with my parents´ help. But my loans didn´t cover everything. They do like to charge you fees that you don´t have any idea what they´re for… and health insurance is expensive! I should´ve broken a leg or something just to get my money´s worth!
Petrol is cheaper though, if you´re going on a trip, and Oregon doesn´t have sales tax, so it´s cheaper for a lot of things, especially when you compare it to other states.
But it is definitely worth all the money!

Any other information or comments

Going to OSU was the best decision I ever made! I´ve had so much fun this year, and I now have friends all over the world (and a great excuse to go travel!). It was the best year of my life so far, and I feel like I´ve matured by removing myself 4,000 miles from my comfort zone! It was an amazing experience, and I can´t wait to go back and visit!