Red gown and a nicer hat..... How could I be more motivated?

Hi there,

I am Nastaran and a new TR, originally Iranian but been in and out of Canada for some time now. I am a PhD student in Manufacturing engineering in University of Nottingham and it has been amazing so far, my research is funded by Network Rail (thanks to great relationship between my department- http://virart.nott.ac.uk/ and Network Rail... as well as other great companies) this means that I do get to go on rail tracks and observe signallers in real life which is very exciting...
Having said these, I did not start this post to tell you about my work, lets keep that for another post, this one is an special post for my sister who was also a PhD student in Nottingham and just graduated yesterday and the ceremony was great...she wore a red gown and put on a nice comfy hat.... it was quite an emotional moment, when her name was called it was filled with joy and the sense of success was definitely in air, I now cannot wait to were the red gown and put on the nice comfy hat and feel the feeling!

My past weekend in Washington DC

This past weekend, I dropped my pen and paper and travelled the 5 strenuous hours (of which I slept for the majority) to Washinton DC. Oh the delights of Washington DC, the hub of intellect and history that has built the foundations of justice, political liberty and freedom for all. The centre for hope and change where thousands recently gathered on the steps of Capitol Hill to watch the inauguration of the first Black American president proclaim YES WE CAN!

My first Thanksgiving

Standing, leaping, squelching, shoving, pushing, falling, ramming, WAIT....was that Mickey Mouse I just saw??? Landing at the Macys Thanksgiving Parade seemed a far cry short of Plymouth Rock as a spectacle of floats, balloons and performers welcome the traditional festivities of the holiday. A joyous day for all the family to celebrate with heightened spirits as their favourite characters are propelled 70 feet high in the sky! However, as I perilously lean on a ledge to try and catch a glimpse of the show, I wonder whether the idea of a parade as a magical experience is as fake a concept as the balloons themselves. With millions of spectators paraded to the streets of New York before their morning espresso, the merriment turned into madness. Elbows and knees at the ready, millions flock to ensure a good viewing experience of the big event. All have gathered to celebrate the beginning of the holiday season, a time to reflect on the importance of family and friends while waving enthusiastically to the Saturday Night Live cast. In spite of the mayhem, as I am ushered and pushed through the crowd, a sense of joy and entertainment engulfs the masses.

Christmas in North America

Hi, It's Paul again writing from Toronto !

As the snow storm rages outside my bedroom window, I sit at my desk blasted by a hyper-powered heater revising for final exams. Ok, so one thing that I didn't realise before I came here was that first semester exams are sat in December... Ridiculous I know, but then again less to contemplate over the holidays.

Anyway, enough about exams I just would like to boast about Christmas. Firstly, there was a 'Santa Parade' in Toronto on the 25th November. For some Brits this may seem premature, but for me it was already very late!!! Santa was on the 25th float, after 20 marching band, but he was SO worth waiting for 2 hours to see. (Also, 4 Mounties joined the parade and that's the only time you'll see them anywhere near Toronto - SO worth it) Following this lights were erected all over downtown, the CN tower (still an obsession of mine) adopted the colours of Christmas (green and red) and free sweets (sorry, Candies) are handed out everywhere!

Unfortunately I'm abandoning this beautiful country for the holidays, not for England but for the States. I'm meeting a fellow Notts student, who is currently frozen somewhere in Illinois State, in Washington DC on the 18th December. Then we'll be moving on to Philadelphia for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Finally we'll find ourselves somewhere in Boston for New Year's Eve. I cannot express how freaking excited I am about it! It will be amazing - guaranteed. And it's ridiculously cheap because we're already over this side of the pond.

Adventures in December

Hi Everyone!

Emily here, a new TR with the International Office. Canadian born and now studying and living in Nottingham.
Currently I'm gearing up for a busy month ahead. Luckily it will be the perfect mixture of holiday fun and work.

Arrived back in Nottingham yesterday after two hectic weeks travelling between Blackpool and Liverpool.


Blackpool, where I was staying overnight, has quite the illicit reputation - famous as a tourist destination for those seeking a tacky alcohol-filled weekend escapade. However, after spending 5 months of my gap year there last winter/spring I have grown to love the place.





















During the day I was travelling to Liverpool, despite it being an hour and a half away by train. They were long days but thankfully I had a Railcard to cut the cost of my travel substantially. Liverpool, another one of England's great port towns, is a fascinating place. Unfortunately I usually don't get farther than the city archives where I do my research but when I do get out and about it's AMAZING.

I'm back in Nottingham for a week, during which we will have our Course Christmas meal and subsequent drinks into the early hours. I love how close-knit the School of History PG community has become. Having a support group (in a way) really makes the task of writing a thesis less daunting.

Next Friday I'll be back up in Blackpool til the 18th then it's off to Germany and Sweden until the 26th. Spending the last week of December back in England then headed back to Canada for some snow and quality time with my Torontonian friends. I miss them!

Anyway just an update on how I'm living, back to work I guess....

Take care

Emily

Homecoming/fall at William and Mary...

I have now been at William and Mary for 2 and half months: America has taken me by storm and I've been immensely busy! Speaking of which, it's actually Homecoming this weekend (english translation: a weekend that epitomizes american college culture of pep rally's, concerts, football games and bonfires!)

The most prominent change that has affected me whilst being here is the academic culture, which particularly at William and Mary is VERY different to Nottingham.

Medical services in the UK vs US

Having been in the US for a couple of months now, and with the healthcare debate still raging, I thought I’d post about the differences I’ve found between America and the United Kingdom in terms of health services. One of the first questions I received as an English person at SUNY Albany was from a student wanting to clear up if the NHS and public healthcare meant there were “death panels” in the UK which decided who lived and who died when resources ran out to take care of everyone. This sounds like something out of a horror movie and I’m pleased to say it is not the case! In fact, getting access to medical services in the UK is simple and free of charge for all full time students on courses over 6 months long. Even transferring to health services in the States from the UK has been pretty straightforward.

For Americans travelling to England the process is really straightforward. Students may choose to complete a physical before they travel, in the same way as British travelling students, and some universities like UAlbany even offer an overseas insurance package. An important bonus of studying in the UK is that all full time students studying for more than 6 months get free access to NHS services. Once in Nottingham you will need to sign up to the university’s on-campus health services at Cripps Medical Centre. Further information can be found on the Cripps website, where you can also book appointments and request repeat prescriptions once you’re registered: http://www.unhs.co.uk/

Fairs in Louisiana

Heading into Midterm week and licking my wounds after LSU's defeat by Florida at the weekend, i thought it would be a good time to update on two study abroad fairs i have participated in over the last couple of weeks...

The first, the National college fair in Downtown Baton Rouge was a busy one. Being the only non American University at the fair there was huge interest. Moreover, i was placed directly opposite the most popular stand at the fair, the LSU stand, which helped lure some people over. I was effectively swamped in the first three hour session by enthusiastic high schoolers. Whether this was due to my accent, being a foreign university or genuine interest, there was a host of enquiries about studying at nottingham. The evening session was a bit slower, consisting of parents and children, but there was still some noticeable enthusiasm for our university, which bodes well...

Adventures in Boston, Montreal, Toronto, DC, New York and Charlottesville...

Hi everyone - Ceri here,

I'm back from a whirlwind visit to the US and Canada (this photo was taken from Mont Royal in beautiful Montreal - thanks for Dr Karis Shearer from McGill for leading the way to the top!), where I met with alumni, study abroad students, and lots and lots of students who are interested in coming to Nottingham for their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

A big thanks to all of the schools I visited and the many North American students I met on my travels - I really enjoyed talking with you about studying in the UK and look forward to seeing you in Nottingham next year.

Everyone I spoke with was universally happy to hear about our tailored range of scholarships specifically for American and Canadian students: for SAT II/AP High Achievers, USA and Canada Taught Masters students and International PhD Researchers. Our non-competitive 10% tuition fee reduction for all alumni from our Universitas 21 partners McGill and the University of Virginia and competitive U21 scholarships were also really popular - don't forget to apply as soon as you are holding your offer. To find out more about our scholarships, please visit the International Office website: www.nottingham.ac.uk/international

First Event for Albany!

Hi All,

Just a brief entry from Albany to update you on our first event held here at the State University of New York at Albany!
The event was held in a very public area outside a row of lecture halls and just inside of the main fountain on Albany campus.
We were located alongside other countries that Albany have links with and Nottingham had a section to itself that we filled with leaflets, bookmarks, pencils, flags and booklets!
We were approached by students with questions on Nottingham, but due to our location next to the 'Brazil' leaflets we were asked questions about various countries and what it is like studying in London! We did promote Nottingham as much as we could and gave out a fair few leaflets!
It was a pretty exciting event and gave us a taste of what being a Nottingham ambassador entails.
I include some pictures of the event for you to see!
Until next time -
Ben Lassman (Albany).

Welcome to our blog

Hi everyone,

Welcome to the University of Nottingham's new blog, on which our current students, researchers and staff are going to share their experiences of travelling and working in the USA and Canada.

If you are a potential student, alumni or current American or Canadian student studying at Nottingham, we'd love you to join us and share your photos and stories of your experiences of Nottingham and North America.

I'm delighted to report that our undergraduate North American Ambassadors have started to leave the UK to start their year of study at various institutions including SUNY, LSU, Texas A&M and the University of Toronto...Check back on the blog over the coming weeks and months to keep up to date with their experiences, or if you are a potential student or alumnus who would like to meet up with them on their travels!

In other news, I will be visiting Boston, Montreal, Toronto, Washington DC, New York and Charlottesville, VA from 15 September - 1st October so do get in touch if you would like to meet with me to discuss studying at Nottingham.

Until next time,
Ceri