By: Celia Fisher
Now that it’s been nearly a year since I first left for my study abroad experience in Glasgow, Scotland, I feel like I can confidently and accurately reflect on my time there in comparison to my life in sunny San Diego. Though at the time I was just a second semester sophomore, I felt like I had been waiting to spread my wings on an adventure like this for quite some time. As a born and raised San Diegan, I didn’t experience much change when I came to SDSU in 2021; I knew the surrounding areas, and was very comfortable with the friends I had made here. While this easy going transition to college was just what I needed at the time, I knew that I needed a push to be able to unlock a new level of independence that I hadn’t experienced before.
After lots of research, before I knew it I was saying goodbye to my parents at the airport. I had everything I needed with me: passport, ID, outlet adapters, my favorite American candy, and sheer bliss that slowly began to replace my fear of the unknown. The first thing on my to-do list after I landed was figuring out how to switch my US phone number to a UK plan. Luckily, the UK has a “pay as you go” plan for students that are there temporarily. After walking over to my nearest Vodafone store, I was given a new SIM card along with a new phone number—easy!
Next, was figuring out public transit. Honestly, the only time I used the trolly in San Diego was to get to Petco Park (go Padres!). With no car, getting around a city can be tough; however, with the help of Google Maps, I was able to find bus routes fairly easily. What they don’t tell you though, is that you need to flag down the bus you want to take from the street. That’s right, if you look down to check your phone and miss the bus driving by you’re stuck waiting for the next one. Unfortunately, I didn’t get this memo and was late to the first day of classes. However, after a kind Glasweigan told me this niche piece of info, I quickly caught on. After realizing that this would be my route around the city, I noticed that this frequent travel fare was going to start to add up. Luckily, Scotland has a program for students under 22 where you can get a “YoungScot” card that cuts your cost of travel via bus to zero dollars, and trains and ferries to a significantly discounted price. This brings me to my next point: currency conversion.
Picture this: you’re walking in your local Tesco and you see your favorite soda, sandwich, and snack for only $5.00! A classic meal deal. Wrong. At the peak of my travels the pound to dollar conversion was 1:1.30. Though it was embarrassing to stand in the aisle with my calculator app open, finding out the actual price in US dollars definitely helped my budget in the long run. You may think it isn’t a huge difference at the time, but it adds up! While these were some of the main aspects I remember trying to adapt to the most, there were always little social norms that were bound to be picked up over time. For example, walking on the left side of the road, trying your best to understand the elegant cuisine that is beans on toast, and in my case, adapting to a new university. Looking back, none of these scenarios seem like any monumental changes; but if I go back to the headspace I was in when I was experiencing everything for the first time, I remember feeling anxious almost always. This was the first time in my life, and the first time for many college students, where their parents aren’t there to tell them what to do, and you don’t necessarily have the comfort of your hometown friends to rely on. Because of this, I was able to finally trust myself, rely on myself, and in the end, be proud of myself for figuring out everything on my own—ultimately finding confidence in culture shock.
As I reflect on my time almost a year later, those places that once felt so anxiety inducing became my normal, and now, I long for the time where they played a role in my everyday life. Since I have returned to my routine and adapted to life back in America, I notice myself starting to forget the things I learned to become so fond of then; my UK phone number no longer comes to mind, my pass that I used for the subway station serves no purpose here if I have my car, and using the left side of the road and eating beans on toast are frowned upon. If there is one lesson I learned from this experience, it is to not underestimate your ability to adapt. Soon enough, the things you thought were simply incomprehensible will be a thing of the past, and another accomplishment in your book of life—whatever you’re thinking you can’t do, you absolutely can.
Celia Fisher is a fourth year student who is majoring in Rhetoric and Writing Studies at SDSU. After her semester abroad in Spring of 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland at the University of Strathclyde, she found herself compelled to continue working with all things travel when she returned to The States. While she and her co-editor, Noelle Higgins, currently write for the RWS Newsletter, Celia had an urge to transfer her writing skills somewhere new. In Spring of 2024, she and Noelle started as interns to the Global Education Office’s “Be International” blog. After a year has passed from her abroad experience, focusing on this blog has given her new excitement in her routine and wonderful connections with the people working on campus. Off campus, she enjoys going to the beach, exploring cafes in San Diego, watching movies, and spending time with family and friends.
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 