Adventure for Independence

A blog created for my friends, family, and future employer.

[mntouk-blog]

My biggest worry was not making friends and having trouble to connect with different people. This is a result of challenging my fear, being myself, and as you can see I have 13 amazing people showcased within this photo. Some of my bestest friends and we have all gotten to be really close. Most of these people are $block (S Block) the dorm that we are in. I would say we have one of the closest dorms. We make food together, play games, drink, chill, and travel to town. We have 3 adoptees into the S block family. Nocoa and Carly are from North Carolina and I also adore them and then there is the cutie Dan! We pretend they are S block residents. 

This is my Uk family!

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I absolutely adore my campus! It is beautiful and I recommend everyone to do a study abroad. 

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Sitting next to the Radical Feminist

I consider myself to be slightly radical. By that, I mean, I stand up for what I believe and will call out someone being irrational and ignorant. Let's just say that I do pick and choose my battles. As I heard from Anna off of Once Upon A Time, "An easy fight is not a fight at all but the impossible ones make it worth the fight." That is not a direct quote but she said something like that. Anyways, I sat next to a 3rd year college student whom shut me out on the battle between the need for sex identification. I fully understand that sex identification was made up by society and can be problematic but also helpful. If you put on the sheet you are a female then the doctor will know to grab the paps stuff. However, what if the sheet just asked for our genitals? Would that be more or less appropriate? Therefor you don't have to claim a gender or category but rather accept that you have certain parts and you can be whomever you want regardless of what you were born with. Without fully listening to my argument, she rolled her eyes as if I WAS THE IGNORANT ONE! I am going on 5 years of gender studies and I am not fully educated and don't claim to be. There is always room for education and I don't believe my ideas and concepts to always be right. I live with an open mind. Something that I can claim is the fact that I am not one to be treated like a completely ignorant person because I always keep my mind and ears open to thoughts and opinions.

So in conclusion this is my theory: For the Radicals that view equality as common sense: That is just as bad as viewing ignorance as common sense. For some people it is common sense that the LGBT community will go to hell and for others it is common sense that everyone should be equal and gender doesn't matter. Common sense does not exist and the path to enlightenment encourages education, an open mind, and to challenge your own perception.

[mntouk-blog]

Sociology in England

I am currently in two first year courses of Sociology. I picked an easier level of Sociology due to the aspect in which I am going study this course. This course is not about learning new aspects of Sociology but rather the ways in which it is different from Sociology in the U.S.. The class difference and methods used to teach such a course. So far I am not only learning a new aspect but even learning more about Sociology in general. In the U.S. I primarily take courses involved with Communication, Women and Gender Studies, and leadership. I have never taken a course that is solely Sociology. You can probably tell that I am not an English major and I have horrible grammar. Anyways, let's forward this conversation into what I learned in first week of Sociology classes.

Terms:

Society, Culture, Sociology, Hegemony, Norms and Values, Common Sense, Perception, Persuasion, Coercion

So in my class we dealt a lot with this idea of "Common Sense." How can we expect everyone to know certain things. You know what you are taught and if you aren't taught it then you would not know. So the idea of "Common Sense" is a "rubbish" (uk word) idea and is completely non-existent. My mom might expect me to take my shoes off at the door and that would be common sense in my house but a person from a different background and upbringing may find it appropriate to wear their shoes in the house. Common Sense is nothing but societal norms. In my Mediated World class, we took on the idea of a society that has only been taught their secluded mindset with absolutely no room for creativity. New ideas can be scary and having your own perspective on things can be a fight. People will try and change the way you think and the most important thing to remember is that you should accept all views with an open mind. Take in a thought, analyze that thought, and decide whether you agree or not. It is okay not to agree with everything but always question yourself why you don't agree with it. 

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First piece of mail in the uk! I couldn't be more excited for a blow dryer!!!

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Same thing but different brands. Gin and tonic and wine are my choice of drinks wherever I go. I also got sprite because I can't live without it.

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To show my love for my cat. These are two items I found at the grocery store!

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I'm starting to feel at home. We got a free shuttle to the grocery store. I do not recommend doing that as I had to carry a backpack full of cans and about 6 grocery bags some light and some unbearably heavy to my dorm. My dorm is about 5 1/2 blocks from where the shuttle is. The uk is really big on ordering groceries for delivery which is what I'm doing next time lol. Oh well, it's a lesson learned

[mntouk-blog]

Transition week

This week is filled with learning. Learning the differences between the US college life and the UK uni life. They push cooking for yourself and the US is all about meal plans. The UK is already showing me a greater independence in the way I live. This week is also gonna move slower as we are not in our studies yet which means we have too much free time to think about our home. Stay strong and keep your head up.

[mntouk-blog]

First night sleep in the UK

The first night is probably the hardest. Trying to close your eyes even though you’re alone is really hard. Having a single bedroom has its perks but it’s definitely challenging to not hear another person sleeping or the comfort of waking up next to someone. This is only the beginning to a very long journey and adjusting is always the hardest. I am a strong woman that is building my skills to help further my career in the Communications department. Road bumps will come and go but they will only continue to make you stronger. 

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Well I am on my way

I have completed packing and already took my first flight for this trip. Only an hour and a half to Chicago and met a cool guy on the way. We talked and shared stories making the flight go by faster. It's amazing what you can learn from other people from other areas. He was from little rock Arkansas. I got to the airport and decided to eat at Chilis where I met a navy vet and he had both parents in world war 2. He just retired from john deer. So far I'm already making friends on my way to Manchester then to keele.

[mntouk-blog]

Oh boy

So I have a few days left to prepare for my trip. In all honesty, I am scared out of my mind. It is more like an overly excited nervous. I know I will do fine. So far I have been reading emails and trying to keep up to date with everything. It is really overwhelming because there is so much information provided for me and I learn better when it is hands on. I'm sure once I get there and start asking questions then I will pick it up in no time. As for now, I will stick to the reading.

3 days left! 

[mntouk-blog]

I wouldn't have the courage or strength to do all of this if it wasn't for my girlfriend Kayla! She has been amazing and a great motivator. Love you and Happy 5 months chicka. 

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First blog post!

We are four weeks away from my study abroad experience. I can’t describe how excited I am to have this opportunity and be able to leave on this journey. As of today, I have my passport, plane ticket, welcome brochure read, and attempted to contact a few students at Keele. So far I know no-one at Keele. I am nervous but my excitement overwhelms my mind and gives me butterflies. This may not seem like a big dream to others, but to me, this is a dream of a lifetime. The most important thing to remember is don’t give up even if it seems impossible. It has taken me 4 years to finally make this work.

Study Abroad tips:

If you are seeking to study abroad then I suggest going through your university for their tuition prices. Compare and contrast different countries and write the pros and cons. For example: If the countries primary language is Spanish and you don’t speak Spanish then that could be a con. However, if you were looking to learn Spanish then that would be great for you. MAJOR TIP: Figure out your loan and financial aid stuff first. The rest is easier to get in order.  

Family:

Thank you to my family and friends who have given me encouraging tips and wisdom. I keep you in my thoughts with every decision that I make. Thank you to my girlfriend for her love and support. I know its not easy that I am leaving for four months. I will keep in contact as best as I can! 

[mntouk-blog]

I love dresses and my kitty Zelda!