Year Abroad: A Week at the University of Connecticut

Sitting on the fringes of one of several sports arenas at the University of Connecticut, affectionately known as UConn, I was immediately lost in the profound scale and spectacle this alien and rather magical place holds. Understated is a word that holds little meaning in America. The enormity of everything: The huge stone archways and vast lecture halls; the pristine and beautiful dining halls sampling worlds of cuisine; the overflow of student each with unique personas and vibrant identities and the raucous and electrifying celebrations and parties and sports fixtures, are all acutely felt.

As a citizen of the country, being born in New York and raised there for two years before a return to London, the nation is a place that had always felt like a part of me.

I had spent two of the best years of my life at Warwick before upstarting again in Connecticut. Trundling through the airport the sights smells and the instinctual fleck of the American accent brought to the forefront of my mind a sense of newness and familiarity in tandem. As a citizen of the country, being born in New York and raised there for two years before a return to London, the nation is a place that had always felt like a part of me. Returning now had in many ways felt like a homecoming.

I had been forewarned of an inherent ‘culture shock’ that I would undergo when coming to the country. But, walking through the hallowed halls of Bradley International Airport, decorated with banners that heralded UConn, the first thing that struck me was the amiable nature of the residents and the pride they had in their country.

However, Storrs – UConn , a purpose built university town, was a metropolitan hub where brilliant minds from all walks of life could come together and show their best selves.

Unloading three split-seemed suitcases into the drafty room of the residence hall I would call home a week ago, I could tell this was going to be one of the most important adventures I had been on. After what had previously been a full day of travel, some of the energy and excitement around entering this new space and walking into my new life had been withdrawn. However, this was quickly brought to the fore in all the little decisions that turned four walls in a 10ft area into a home away from home.

Helped by my aunt and Uncle, who had flown in from Orlando to move me in, a potted plant here, a bedside lamp there; posters filling blank wall space; a notice board above the bed and a kitted out wardrobe told me this would be the place where I belong. Like Warwick, the college is located in a highly remote and rural oasis in the heart of Connecticut, where inhabitants like to joke that the cows and pasture outnumber people. However, Storrs – UConn , a purpose built university town, was a metropolitan hub where brilliant minds from all walks of life could come together and show their best selves.

At the end of the week, watching the men’s soccer team in their opening gambit of the season, our cohort was welcomed to the stands with open arms. We were fully indoctrinated into the spirit of the university.

Meeting exchange students from across the globe during a week long orientation, I quickly had a similar realisation. It was our differences that had brought the fifty odd students in that room together. Many of the prospective students had not known much about Connecticut before coming, myself included. However, we were quickly welcome into this presumptive family; a community of students where everyone fights to help each other. At the end of the week, watching the men’s soccer team in their opening gambit of the season, our cohort was welcomed to the stands with open arms. We were fully indoctrinated into the spirit of the university.

Studying American history and politics for the past two years, I feel this speaks to a broader truth about America. At its best, it is a nation which allows for a huge diversity of perspectives; cultures and customs to collectively thrive under its wide umbrella. To any optimist, America had strived and continues to strive to ensure that the securing of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ for all are not just words.

I therefore conclude the week with a strong hope that as I grow as a person during the time spent on my year abroad, the country will continue to grow with me.

Coming to America in the latter half of 2024, I was aware that the questioning around the fate of the country that the presidential election race had wrought made it one of the most important times to be in the country this century. A week in the country has left me with the impression that it has a choice: To either be a home and place of solace for not just 334 million Americans, but for travellers around the world, or to shut its doors to those in need. I therefore conclude the week with a strong hope that as I grow as a person during the time spent on my year abroad, the country will continue to grow with me.