During my studies at Lancaster University, I have noticed many differences in all areas of life between the United States and the United Kingdom. While the two nations are similar in many ways, the differences in daily life can largely be attributed to cultural differences. One of the most noticeable cultural differences I have observed is the way authority figures treat young people. In the United Kingdom, teenagers and young adults are given more freedom at a younger age. It is common for the English to start drinking alcoholic beverages publicly at 18, and even earlier at home. Underage drinking is greatly frowned upon in the United States, while it is not as large of a concern in the United Kingdom. In the United States parents are usually not comfortable with their children drinking until they are at least 21 years old, if not older. In, England many parents are completely comfortable with their kids drinking and going out. Some young Brits will even go on out-of-town trips with other young adults, without their parents worrying too much. This is partly due to American parents, in general, being more protective parents. Many of my flatmates are surprised by my parents checking in on me every single day, which I believe is quite common in the United States. These freedoms can also be observed in college life as well. There seem to be far fewer non-student faculty in accommodation areas in the United Kingdom than in schools in the United States. The students at schools in the United Kingdom set up a majority of the school events, run many of the student services, and are involved in many school functions. They also experience less hands-on learning. Instead of having smaller, discussion-based classrooms with numerous class assignments, students in England usually have a few lectures a week, with each class having a few assignments and exams, which are worth a large portion of their grade. As a result, English students do a large part of course learning independently. In general, I have felt like I have been given a lot of freedom to live independently, which I have not yet been given in the United States. It has been a difficult adjustment, not having the same level of support here, as I did back home, but at the same time, I feel like I have been able to grow and mature as a person. I hope I can continue to grow as a person and learn more during the remainder of my studies.
