My name is Ashley Fale-Olsen and I identify as a gay woman. I have grown up around Portland and have now lived in Eugene for two years. Both growing up, and being on a liberal heavy college campus, being gay is typically accepted, but with some of the political climate in the United States generally, it can often be something I am not immediately open about. When I was thinking about studying abroad, it was something that I made sure to research, since traveling to different countries, and therefore cultures can be a daunting task for queer people. However, the UK is generally a very good destination, and especially Norwich, England. Norwich is in the top ten cities in the United Kingdom for percentage of LGBTQ+ people. This was a happy surprise to discover and calmed some of my anxieties about arriving to a new campus.
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I arrived in Norwich at the end of January, a few days before the term started. My mom came along to help me settle into my new room, and to have someone to travel with. I was glad she chose to come, though many other exchange students I have met while being here came by themselves. With the help of the kind study abroad team here, I think the transition was smooth either way. We stayed in the city of Norwich, which meant I was able to explore the city before I endeavored to move back into dorm life.
My accommodation is one of the first things that comes up when you search for the University of East Anglia, the famous Ziggurats. I decided that I wanted to live in them since they are a unique feature of the campus. They also face the lake, and the small forest that are a part of the campus. This is my favorite part about campus, to stroll around the lake and surrounding areas. I’ve found that if you give an insomniac (yours truly) jetlag, then the waking up at obnoxiously early just turns into a process of wandering around before everyone is up. This did give me even more ample time to explore, to the point where I will point out certain walking paths or places to UEA natives.
I have found there is a lot of support for international students at this university, and a lot of opportunities to get involved. I was nervous—as is natural for leaving behind all your friends and relatives on another continent— about meeting people when I was here, but I have found many avenues to that. There are around 160 other exchange students, and the study abroad team hosted multiple socials to get us together, and my flat mates are lovely people who were excitedly wondering about how “American” I would be. There are many clubs and societies, and I have recently joined lacrosse, which I had played for many years up until college. I am happy to have easily met great people here at UEA.
By Ashley Fale-Olsen, Diverse Ducks Ambassador
University of East Anglia Exchange, Winter 2023