Posted in September 2014
Rik van der Vossen, University of Pittsburgh, Post #1: First impression of Pittsburgh
Dear reader,
As a student from the TU Delft I get to spend a semester abroad at an US university. I wanted to try something different from my major which is Applied Physics and Global E3 gave me the opportunity to both go abroad and try another discipline. I chose to study Bio-engineering at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania and will give you a first impression of my experience in the United States so far.
The University is located in the middle of a busy neighborhood in the city of Pittsburgh, called Oakland. The area directly adjoining the campus is really nice, as you can enjoy all of the city with relative ease. I chose to live off campus since the on campus housing that was offered to me was expensive and had very limited privacy. It was a bit difficult to find a place for only one semester, but in the end it worked out.
The life of most students revolves around campus, which is a really cool place. There is a ton of stuff you can do and the amenities are endless. During the week most students are devoted to going to classes and working out. The evenings are spent at one of the almost 400 student clubs. But in the weekend there is time to relax and have a little fun. Since the drinking age is 21 most students go to house parties instead of bars. Most parties are in the neighborhood Oakland, which is next to the campus, that is where most bars who cater students are located as well.
In the weekend I spend my time going to the football games, or going away for the weekend on a short trip. So far I’ve visited the Niagara falls, Toronto, Lake Erie and spent a weekend in West-Virginia. In the next post I will elaborate about my classes and the other neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.
Oscar Heerkens Thijssen, Clemson University, post 1: Clemson at a glance
Dear reader,
I was asked to write this blog about my life as an exchange student at Clemson University to give you an idea of what an exchange in Clemson is like. By the end, hopefully, you may be able to make up your mind as for where you want to go!
My name is Oscar Heerkens Thijssen. I am a 21-year-old bachelor student at Delft University of Technology. My major is Mechanical Engineering.
Clemson is a great place! I love the people and place is wonderful. There are basically two parts: the campus and the town of Clemson. Most students live on campus and so do I. It is a perfect place to hang out, drink coffee and meet people. While walking around campus I run into so many people, I met at parties, while going out or at the gym, that walking to class takes longer every day.
When it comes to size Clemson and Delft are very much alike. A big university is a small city. It is one of the aspects I like a lot about Clemson. You will not feel lost and in no time you know a significant number of people around. The location is also a big advantage. Clemson is located in total west of South Carolina. It is very close to the mountains and rainforests of North Carolina as well as the Atlantic coast and cities like Atlanta and Greenville.
The campus is beautiful and lively. There are tons of facilities like swimming pools, restaurants, cinemas, gyms, saunas, dining halls, etc. The campus also has a lake beach on the shores of Lake Hartwell. A lot of sailing and wakeboarding is done here. But, just chilling in the warm waters and zipping a beer is also a perfect way of enjoying the lake.
In my next posts I will tell some more about parties so far, the international community and the football season which is about to start.
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