Hey everyone! I have been studying in Arizona for the last two and a half months at Arizona State University. During my time here I have experienced a lot, and many things appear to be similar to the Netherlands, but some things are noticeably different. For instance, the size of the school is very different. Whereas the University of Groningen has 30,000 students in total, ASU has 50,000 students on the Tempe campus alone. This means you see a lot of students everywhere you go. Additionally, the campus is very big with a lot of places to eat. Many students live in on-campus housing (me included!), but students can also live in apartment buildings surrounding the campus. Besides the size of the school, there are other differences as well. For instance, in almost every class there hangs an American flag with the Bill of Rights. I believe it provides the ultimate American experience in every classroom. Furthermore, the tests are different as well. At my own faculty, University College Groningen, we have a wide range of different examinations. Nonetheless, here they also examine in many different ways; I have had my first multiple choice quiz since high school. Other examinations that I have had at ASU are book reviews, presentations, exams, papers, and case studies. They like to keep you busy.

Another thing you notice as a student is the food. Eating healthy is a challenge, as the on-campus Walmart only occasionally sells different fruits and vegetables. There are many processed foods in all forms and kinds. This also has a lot of upsides, as I have never seen so many M&M flavors in my life. Additionally, they have a lot of different brands and types of food that we do not have in the Netherlands. I was a little shocked when I saw the sizes of drinks though, as they range between 500 and 1500 ml, which is a lot. Another thing that needs to be mentioned is the bread. Americans have tried to make bread, but they have failed. All the regular bread that I tried here so far is sweet. This is a big difference with the Netherlands, where people eat a lot of bread and the bread is not sweet. Lastly, the United States are known for it, but there is indeed a wide range of junk food available in a lot of places. It is relatively cheap, and therefore many people tend to eat unhealthy.

An important influence on my decision to go to Arizona was the climate here. Even though it is October, the daily temperatures can vary from the high twenties to low thirties (Celsius, which leads me also to the point that they make use of the Fahrenheit system and are not familiar with the metric system, which is sometimes really confusing). During the night, it cools down a lot and it reaches temperatures between the 14-18 degrees Celsius. This is great, but you do have to be prepared whenever the sun goes down, as it cools down quickly. Furthermore, because of the warmer temperatures, you can find a lot of palm trees and cactuses; which is great! Many trees have a yellowish undertone because of the dryness, and the grass feels like it is already dead, but it looks still green. In my time here, there have been some sand storms (see picture below), which was totally new to me as well. In general, this is the perfect climate when you want to escape the rain and coldness of the Netherlands.

All together, my experience in the United States of America has been very interesting, and also very good! I have met a lot of great people so far and I love being here. For now, I will keep enjoying the sun, the palm trees and all other goods that America has to offer!

Best wishes from Arizona,

Rosemarijn