Tartan Plaid and Trench Coats

"With every decision you make in your life, you’re going to have some regrets about the way it goes. You just have to chose which set of regrets you can live with the best, and try to minimize the amount of regrets you have."-John Rzeznik

Many students choose to study abroad in the Spring. For my schedule, however, it made a lot more sense to study in the fall. There are pros and cons to spring and fall, but here is my list for the fall term.

pros of the fall term:

the leaves changing

-The English countryside is gorgeous in the fall with the colors of the changing leaves complimenting the cottages and historic buildings. If you are looking at studying in a city, this might not make much of a difference. If you are surrounded by nature though, this really was a large plus for me. Seeing the natural beauty when it is not in a state of dormancy was breathtaking.

christmas season/markets

-The Christmas season in England is very jolly. They spread their yulle tide with Christmas markets all over the UK. These are very traditional and definitely spread Christmas cheer and spirit. The markets are definitely a fun and traditional experience.

cozy pubs and fireplaces

-Brick fireplaces, candle lit pubs, and a steaming cup of cocoa just make me melt. These are all common in an English town in the fall if it is dark and dreary outside. It honestly doesn't rain as much as you think it will. It seems to rain a bit every day, and I have been fortunate enough to not get caught in these sporadic rainstorms on my walk to class.

fall break

-Most universities offer a fall break. Yes if you study in the spring, you get a spring break to travel. At The University of Exeter, they have a "reading week" for the college of business. This week is a light load and many students travel. I will be traveling to Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam during this reading week.

when you get back don’t have to worry about summer plans, instead CHRISTMAS

- Often for other students my age, the topic of summer plans causes a cold sweat. Do we stay in our college town? Or if we leave do we need to find a subleaser? Where can I get an internship/job? Where will my friends and significant other be? Well if you study in the fall, the good news is that you don't have to figure all of this out while overseas. When you return it is the most wonderful time of the year: Christmas! Your family and friends will all be in one place for you to catch up, and this gives you a reason to shop for souveneir Christmas gifts. I bought my family's Christmas gifts within the first 3 days of being in Exeter. Oops.

two words: tartan plaid and trench coats.

- Personally when I picture fashion in England I see tartan plaid scarves, trench coats, and cute raincoats. These are everywhere in the fall, because the fall and Winter months are quite mild in comparison to what we are used to back home. The temperature doesn't dip and remains around 50-60 degress through out my time here. So yes, I will resemble Nancy Drew and soak up the preppy fashion sense while I am here.

comfort food never tasted so great

- There is something about wet and cold weather that makes comfort food like cottage pie even more delectable. Comfort food is definitely mastered in England. Cottage pie, fish and chips, the full English breakfast, Old Firehouse pizza. I actually need to stop thinking of examples because now I need to go grocery shopping.

semester starts later, can travel beforehand

- I was so glad that I traveled before arriving at University to experience Europe before settling down in my "home." The term doesn't start until mid September here in the UK, which allowed for ample weeks of travel before classes started to help get the travel bug out of my system (in theory. It honestly just kind of revved up the travel bug in me making me want to see more.)

no AC no problem

Most places in Europe do not have air conditioning. By September, temperatures have cooled off and the climate is very comfortable. All places have heaters and multitudes of blankets. I was dining at a restaurant on the Thames River with my future father-in-law where they offered me a blanket if I was too cold since it was outdoors.

cons of the fall term:

football season

I have major FOMO (fear of missing out) when all of you cyclones post pictures of American football. In your cute vintage sweaters (I almost said jumpers. England really is changing me). With football season back home comes the pumpkin patches, apple orchards, etc and I miss that a lot.

halloween

Halloween is more of an American holiday. Although it is becoming more and more popular in Europe, it is just not the same. No pumpkin decorated sugar cookies for me.

youth group fall retreat

The Salt Company had their fall retreat at Hidden Acres Camp in October and it physically hurt to see photos being posted by my friends. I miss this ministry so very much, and knowing that I missed out on this weekend really bummed me out.

thanksgiving

An ultimate American holiday incorporating family and carbs. I will definitely miss seeing all of my family and indulging in way too many servings of butter and all things unhealthy. A plus of this, though, is that I am fortunate enough to have my fiance visit me for this holiday. So it will be special in its own way. In fact, this will actually be our first Thanksgiving together! In years past I always traveled for the holiday while he was back home. This will definitely be a Thanksgiving to remember, and I can't wait for the holidays and years to come.

take exams back home

I am required to take final exams back home, because exams take place after Christmas break instead of beforehand. Finals week here in Exeter actually takes place during the first week of the semester at ISU. So thankfully, I don't need to fly all the way back to England to take one final exam. Instead, I will take it proctored at ISU which is not necessarily how I would love to end my Christmas break and begin my Spring Semester, but hey. It's worth it.

sweaters boots and jeans are bulky to pack

When packing for the fall semester abroad, you will find that sweaters, boots, jeans, socks, scarves, and hats take up a lot of space in a suitcase. This can be very frustrating when trying to fit in everything that you will need for the term. It feels weird packing winter gear when it is still in the 70's back home, but it is worth it to bring the staple items: ankle high rain boots (take up less room than high boots), thick wool socks, and a shower proof (also known as water proof) coat. I bought my autumn/winter coat at Mountain Warehouse in Exeter. Sometimes it is best to wait until arriving at a location to see what they offer locally because it will usually be exactly what you need instead of trying to guess back in the States what will suit your needs.

If decisions stress you out as much as they do for me, write out a pros and cons list to help you visualize what decision is best for you. It is good to listen to advice from others, but ultimately do what is in your best interest.

xoxo,

Leah Joy