First things first: the USA is a beautiful and diverse country. It’s very large, and every city has its own character and culture that makes it a wonderful place to explore. Four weeks have passed, and I can safely say that I have no regrets whatsoever in my choice of studying abroad at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I’m from Australia (or “straya” if you want to get real and say it how we do), and I’m here to fill you in on my first impressions of ’merica.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL & THE SCHOOL SPIRIT
It’s crazy!! There is honestly nothing like Wisconsin game days in Australia. The fact that 80,000 people come to watch the college football is freaking amazing. The atmosphere is intense, and everyone wears red, or at least something with ‘WISCONSIN’ and Bucky Badger on it. I don’t even own a T-shirt from my university at home. Here though, I have at least five shirts, a hat, and a jumper (lol “sweatshirt”). And I feel like that’s being conservative.
In America, it is totally acceptable to wear badger apparel 24/7. On game day, everyone rocks the red and white striped overalls. At first I was a bit startled, but now I have totally embraced them and am kind of envious, especially when “Jump Around” comes on.
In Aus, college clothing isn’t a thing. I’m not sure if we even have a mascot (sad but true). We’re not really a school spirit kind of crew, unfortunately. Y’all also wear American flags a lot. Not a day goes by where I don’t see someone wearing something with stars and stripes on it. Aussies get laughed at if we wear flag themed clothing. It’s strictly limited to January 26th (Australia Day) and then, only then, can you go all out and wear your Southern Cross bikini and have a barbie.
RED CUPS & DRINKING GAMES
Yeah, we have ’em too, but it’s not really a thing. We drink beer out of cans or glass bottles with stubbie coolers. A keg? I had never seen one of those before I ventured to the great ’merica. Here, beer is out in full force and everyone seems keen to share. When it comes to alcohol, Aussies don’t really share. It’s a big deal when there’s an open bar tab. That’s another thing too: the drinking age!! Because obviously no one drinks before they’re 21, right? Right?? It’s been a bit weird not being able to bar hop or go on pub-crawls. Not that it stops the Badgers—the drinking games and house parties are mad here. Kegball, beer pong, flip cup, boom. I have so many games to teach my Aussie friends! Pre-gaming is also an interesting phenomenon; one I very much approve of and believe combines two of the best things about American culture: school spirit and drinks with mates.
WORD DIFFERENCES & PRONUNCIATION
Okay, so obviously there’s the accent—I sound weird. I have learned that Americans love the way Aussies sound. It’s hilarious really. We’re so lazy with our words. ‘Water’ is ‘wahda’ and college is ‘uni’ (short for university). Then there are thongs. NOPE, NOT UNDERWEAR. Don’t get your panties in a twist. Thongs are footwear, but you all call them ‘flip flops’. It seems like what we call these two pieces of plastic on our feet is a worldwide issue, because every country seems to have a different name for them (bit of a stretch, but hey, it’s true).
Another issue that needs to be called into question is the imperial system.
Not going to lie, I’m not a fan. Maybe that’s just because I’m an engineering major, and trying to learn the imperial system after three years of comfortably navigating the metric system makes me a tad shitty. I’ll build a bridge and get over it.
Also strange is the spelling. You know what I’m talking about. It’s ‘color’ not ‘colour’, and then there’s ‘realize’ instead of ‘realise’.
However weird or annoying all these things may be, at large it doesn’t even compare to how awesome and fun living in America is. I have joined the Swing Dancing club, paddleboarded on Lake Mendota, and gone to a frat party. What more could a girl ask for? Life is already pretty perfect, so on that note, study abroad, friends. It’s all you could imagine and more.