One aspect of American culture that I am interested in seeing play out abroad is our rigid individualism. While it is easy to create or find a community to join in the United States there is still a belief that everything is done for the greater good of the individual even if it is to…
Pre-departure blog: Switzerland
It took me sitting down and reflecting on U.S. culture to write a study abroad blog post to realize that I won’t be home for the next 4 months. An aspect of U.S. culture worth reflecting upon is the preference for space, whether it be in the workplace, in traffic, in personal space, or even…
Blog #1: Getting Ready for Rome
Next week my friends and I will embark on our trip to ISA, the American University of Rome. The preparation process has been long and tough (don’t even get me started on packing), but I am still beyond excited to land in Rome. I have studied abroad before. I know firsthand the extreme culture shocks…
Blog Prompt #1
I have lived in the United States of America from the day I was born. Some may say I am an expert on U.S. culture since this is all I have known. One aspect of the U.S. culture I would like to discuss is how higher education is valued. From a very young age,…
Greece: CYA Prompt #1
An aspect of U.S. culture that I have noticed growing up here is an emphasis on individualism and career driven attitudes as life purpose. We are raised and socialized to strive for highly respected careers that pay a high salary and to move out of the family house at the earliest convenience. There is a…
Pre-Departure South Africa Blog
In thinking about an aspect of U.S culture, one of the first words that came to my head was money. In many ways, U.S culture has placed value on having and making money. Due to this, our culture has encouraged habits, attitudes, and behaviors that revolve towards making money and acquiring more things. Money is…
DDP Reutlingen Pre-Departure Post
When I think of aspects of culture in the United States, I often think of the undertones of informality that are prevalent in our society. For example, in the English language, we do not have separate pronouns based on degrees of formality, unlike many other languages. Although we respect authority figures, it is also acceptable…
Blog #1 ISA Rome
A key aspect in American culture is individualism. Hundreds of years ago, thousands of people immigrated into the United States to pursue the American dream of freedom. American freedom falls under serval categories such as, freedom of speech, religion, beliefs. Under the United States Constitution, individuals cannot be punished for the religion they follow, their…
Blog Post #1: ISA Rome
Growing up, I learned my family and American culture heavily value the idea that “time is everything”. Throughout my life, my family has always shown up early to everything whether it’s celebrations, events, or even doctor’s appointments as they fear being late. It is common for my family to show up 10-15 minutes before so…
Blog Post #1: ISA Rome, Pre-Departure
U.S. culture can be defined by personal gain and individuality. People in the United States are constantly striving to better themselves and their career. From a very young age, children are told they can be anything they want, as long as they work hard for it. Many people will not settle for anything but the…