Basic HTML Version
Page 5
Campus Review
March 6, 2012
International Student Spotlight:
Jennifer England from Wales
Freshman Jennifer England, a native of
North Wales and a part of the Georgia
Rotary Student Program, is one of
Clayton State University’s international
students for the spring 2012 semester.
Brett M. Reichert, associate director of
the Clayton State International Student
Services Office, recently sat down with
England for a Q and A on her country, and
her experiences thus far at Clayton State.
Q: Can you tell me about your country?
A: I live in North Wales which is a part
of the United Kingdom and is connected
to England. Wales is known for its beauti-
ful, green scenery, mountains, valleys and
rivers. When it’s sunny it is a comfortable
heat, with very little humidity and recent-
ly we have had snow filled winters. I would
say that spring in Wales is the most beauti-
ful as the daffodils come out and the new
lambs are born. Our food is very similar to
that of the rest of Britain, however Wales is
known for eating more lamb and we have
specialty cakes such as Bara Brith which is
a Tea Loaf and Welsh Cakes.
Q:
Is
Wales
different
from
England/British? What is the difference?
A: I get asked this question a lot, ‘What
is the difference between the two?’ and I
find it easier to compare the countries of
Britain to the States in the U.S. We are
separate countries, with different national
holidays and cultures. However we all vote
for the government centered in London.
Great Britain has one prime minister, simi-
lar to the president of the United States.
However each country has slightly different
laws (such as free prescriptions in Wales,
and free education in Scotland) which are
made by the Welsh Assembly for our coun-
try. The main differences between the coun-
tries are our history and culture.
Q: Is there any similarity between your
culture and American culture?
A: There are a lot of similarities. We both
speak English and celebrate traditional holi-
days such as Christmas and Easter. However
we also speak Welsh, a very old, Celtic lan-
guage. We have certain holidays that are dif-
ferent (we celebrate St. David’s Day on Mar.
1, as St. David is our Patron Saint).
Q: Why did you choose to come here to
study? What’s your major and what’s your
student status now?
A: I am here as part of the Georgia
Rotary Student Program and one of about
50 international students that are studying
in universities around Georgia, represent-
ing our countries and learning about the
American culture. My major is Liberal
Arts and Sciences, and I am a freshman.
Q: Is the American university environ-
ment and study style different from the
ones in your country?
A: The American university system is
very different to Britain. We do not study
core classes so our Bachelor degree only
takes three years to complete as the pro-
gram is more intense. We do not have
extra credit available to us either so that is
a bonus over here! The class sizes are sim-
ilar in some universities however in others
class sizes can reach up to 300 students.
Q: What is your plan after your year at
Clayton State?
A: I am only here for one year, so once I
leave I will return to Britain and start
studying for my Biology degree in
Nottingham University. I plan to be a
Biology teacher when I graduate.
Q: Have you ever experienced any cul-
tural shock when studying abroad?
A: There have been quite a few culture
shocks, such as transportation. At home
we have much easier access to public
transport such as buses and trains and the
distances we travel are a lot shorter.
Q: Do you have
any advice for
international stu-
dents who are
studying at Clayton
State or planning to
choose
Clayton
State to pursue
their degrees?
A: I would say
immerse yourself
as much as possi-
ble, get to know all
sorts of people as that is the best way to
find people that you can get along with. I
now have a wonderful group of friends
and that is because I wasn’t afraid to go
out of my comfort zone when I first
arrived. This will help banish intense
homesick feelings. Also try not to get too
caught up in the contrast to portion size and
variety of foods as a lot of my friends have
complained that they gained weight when
at university, look after yourself and keep
yourself healthy so you can focus on your
studies.
Q: If you could be an animal, which one
you would choose to be? Why?
A: I would be a lioness, as they are
strong and powerful individuals but also
work incredibly well as a team. They
seem to have a pretty good balance to me,
and lions are also my favorite animal!
Q: What’s your favorite color?
A: My favorite color is purple.
Jennifer England