Update...

After a 2 week whirlwind of orientation and first week in American classes, I thought it was 

time for an update!

International orientation finished last week and almost without time to realize I was thrown 

full throttle into my American classes.  It was only the Tuesday before classes started that I 

actually knew what I'd be studying, but it all makes for an excited rush I guess!  Whilst at 

Iowa I will be taking:

• Poetry Writing (Well, if I'm going to have a bash at writing poetry I might as well do it at the top creative writing schools in the world!)
• Introduction to Criticism and Theory - not my favourite class so far, but I think it will prove helpful
• Introduction to Poetry
• Literature and the book 
• 20th Century British Literature (I know, I came to America to study brit lit?! But it sounds interesting and I'm curious to learn the American perspective on our literature and culture)

Classes are on between one and three times a week and each last between 50 minutes - 1 

hour 50 minutes, which means I'm in everyday - something unknown to the British student; 

there's no dossing over here!

The IOWA Challenge

Apart from concentrating on becoming an all-American student, I have slowly getting into 

the swing of things in Iowa city.  My most exciting news of this week (for me at least) was 

purchasing a bike for my trips to and from campus.  This was done with 4 of my German 

friends (who have obviously had an extreme European influence on me).  I don't care if I am 

the ultimate nerd getting excited about this because my bike is beyond cute, was $60 

(bargain, eh?!) and IT'S MY FIRST EVER BRAND NEW BIKE...EVER!  Soon after we took a 

test-drive to my friend, Marie's house (with me, bouncing along at the back like an excited 

5 year old).

A 'Cruiser' bike with an unbelievably excited rider.

One of the most American things I've done this week, though, is attend the "Kick off at 

Kinnick Stadium". 

This event is part of the 'On Iowa' schedule given to the Freshmen which is the equivalent 

of the British 'Fresher's week', minus the drinking/partying itinerary and adding on more 

sport and 'team building' based activities (not that helping your friend, who got a little over 

excited with the cheap vodka doubles get home from a British club doesn't count as a 

'team building' activity).  In theory, us exchange students were banned from having fun in 

the first week BUT that didn't stop us Brits.  Clare (also from Hull) and I decided that we 

wanted a real taste of the American college life, so we put our yellow shirts on and joined 

the line of the class of 2016 to enter into the Kinnick Stadium.

It was a VERY long line.

I saw all the American things I would want to see to kick off my semester - A football 

stadium, real life cheerleaders (so glamourous!!), a marching band and a bunch of young 

Americans which I could place in the high-school social categories (the popular ones, the 

nerds, the regular ones, the jocks).

To finish off my ridiculously American day I then went to a party, held in a basement and 

complete with beer pong and the classic red cups. Welcome to Iowa!

Old Capitol building which marks the centre of campus.

So that just a quick update on the highlights of my week.  Now that I'm almost used to the 

lifestyle I'm going to let y'all know about the quirks of the culture (especially college life!) 

- which I have found eternally amusing and at times shocking. Watch this space :).

Hannah x