I have been an international student here at SBU for almost two years now. During these two years I have learned a lot about a culture that is very different from Norway and what I´m used to. Here you have a list of things that I find different from Norway and The U.S.
- Food: the food in The U.S. is more greasy and contain more fat. The food in Norway seems healthier and I prefer the food at home a lot more.
- Houses: The houses at home are more modern and nicer. The inventory I usually lighter and the rooms have a modern style. Here in The U.S. they seem older and the inventory is dark. In addition, we don’t walk we shoes inside at home, and we don´t really have carpet floors. Carpet floors gets so dirty and they are hard to clean.
- The people: People here compared to home are much more outgoing and welcoming. When I first got here I felt so welcome and people were being so nice to me. At home we are very reserved and we don’t really talk to strangers.
- Health care: at home, health care is free because we pay taxes. I really like that system because people that need medical treatment that does not have a lot of money could still get help. Here it is super expensive and many can´t afford medical treatment.
- Population: there are so many people in The U.S. In Norway there is about 5,5 million and that’s basically what lives on Manhattan. It was a change adjusting to a lot of people and crowded areas, but I guess you get used to it pretty fast.