Many students who travel to the United States for school do so with many false notions and fears about our country, yet when they arrive they are completely submerged in culture shock. I interviewed two students from the United Kingdom to get their opinions on the biggest culture shocks, cultural differences, discrimination, and if they would ever choose to settle down in the land of the free. Our cousins across the pond may seem completely foreign to the students at MTSU, but surprisingly many of them have found a home away from home here at Middle Tennessee State University.
Transcript:
JMC: Moving from one country to another can be a difficult experience, but how different is America really from our cousins across the pond? I interviewed some MTSU students to find out.
[Brief clip of "God Save The King" plays]
JOSH: The biggest culture shock is that there is nothing for miles around, which is weird cause in England you have the countryside but its not the same as the mountains of Tennessee, and the people were also a lot nicer... A lot of things I took for granted, I guess, like healthcare, you know it was more expensive I guess in a way living in America.
JMC: Have you felt any discrimination here or have you felt pretty comfortable here as a whole?
SCOTT: I wouldn't say I faced any discrimination and I felt pretty comfortable being English in a town which probably doesn't get that many tourists. I do get a lot of people mocking the accent or people being very interested in the accent, it's not so much discriminatory, its more I stick out and people make comments about it. I found that funny, again in the UK that's not a thing.
JMC: After graduation would you every consider living in the United States?
SCOTT: I'd love to live in the US, I've been here for a month now and I've already found a lot of reasons to want to be here for longer, so definitely it would be an option. If I was able to take it I would definitely look into it more.
[Brief clip of "Middle Tennessee State University Fight Song" Plays]
JMC: Whether it's the melting pot or southern hospitality MTSU has become a home away from home for everyone. This is Jon Mark Castleman with the Castle Project signing off.
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