Cultural differences IN THE U.S.A.
Please note the information supplied on this page is for the benefit of Fulbright Scholars travelling to the U.S.A. to assist with travel preparations and also to support Scholars in their transition to life there. The information has been extracted from recent Fulbright Scholar Final Reports and does not necessarily reflect the views or recommendations of the Fulbright Commission. The information is from Australian Scholars who have travelled within the last four years.
Familiarise yourself with telephone area codes nationally and internationally.
When living in cold climates, dress in layers as indoors is mostly heated.
Ensure you have adequate Health Care arrangements in place and that the people you live with are also aware, in cases of emergency.
Contact the local Australian Embassy or consulate and get on the mailing list as they host a range of Australian activities like ANZAC day and football grand final celebrations.
When submitting government application forms (ssn, dmv etc) research the requirements and entitlements prior to submission. Once submitted, follow up on their progress regularly.
Register with the IIE Complementary Ticket Program as they have some great discounted and/or free offers.
Students staying in the US over 1 year, be aware of restrictions with the J1 visa.
Aussie sarcasm can be misunderstood or taken very literally - be careful.
Apply for football tickets well ahead of time. Male SS, 2007
During Fall, Spring and Summer weather in Potsdam can be warm, during Winter it is typically -10 oC during the day so a winter jacket is required and boots will be needed when walking around town since footpaths aren’t always cleared and can be icy. Most parts of the town are within walking distance, there is no public transport but a taxi service is available. Male PGS 2007
The major adjustment I had to make to Berkeley related to personal safety. Coming from Canberra it took me a little while to get comfortable with what precautions were necessary to live safely in Berkeley. Early on, I tended to play it overly safe while I found my footing. Any scholar in an urban environment is likely to be confronted with this kind of problem and should be aware of it before leaving. Having said that it is not too hard to adapt. Female PGS, 2007
Be aware of what is going on around you, not just for opportunity to participate in local events, but also to be streetwise and safe. In marginalized areas, it pays to keep a low profile and do what the locals do. There are times to speak out and other times to hold ones tongue! I always carried a book on the bus in order to have somewhere to look. Male PGS, 2007
Any administrative action will take much longer than in Australia. Leave plenty of time for filling in forms, particularly in the first couple of weeks. Female PGS, 2007
Make sure you get to a small town at some point, there is really no average American and the people from towns are very different from city dwellers just as west coast people are different from those in the east. Female PGS 2007
I think perhaps the most important piece of advice I can give to other scholars undertaking taught masters degrees is to get in contact with other students who have taken the same degree in order to get advice about course selection. Even if you do not know such people personally, Facebook now makes it very easy to find them. Male PGS 2007
There is no warning siren on the fire alarm! just the evacuate siren, when you hear it leave, don’t wait for the noise to change, otherwise people may think you are flouting authority and have no regard for your life. Female PGS, 2007
The time difference between Australia and the US makes it very difficult to talk to friends and family who work during the week, particularly if you are on campus all day, so some planning is needed to make time to stay in touch. (Skype is the cheapest way to communicate with home – either directly between two computers, which is free, or with a “Skype-out” line of credit which lets you call phones from your computer very cheaply.) Female PGS, 2007
Boston is really cold in winter – colder than you think it will be! – and winter goes for about 5 months. I recommend online grocery shopping for people without cars. It gets dark at 4:30pm in winter and I missed Australia a lot during that time, more than I thought I would. Female PGS, 2007
Furnishing – check www.craigslist.org for 2nd hand postings in your area. I found lots of bargains that I could then resell at the end of my stay. Male PGS, 2007
During Fall, Spring and Summer weather can be warm, during Winter it is typically -10 oC during the day so a winter jacket is required and boots will be needed when walking around town since footpaths aren’t always cleared and can be icy. Most parts of the town are within walking distance, there is no public transport but a taxi service is available. Female PGS 2007
I would also suggest that any equipment that is essential, that the scholar be prepared to buy, or take with them. I had my own laptop, wireless keyboard and mouse etc at home and at the office. Had I relied on my host for any of this equipment, it would have been quite frustrating. For example, I was given a monitor which was very old and poor quality. I was very self sufficient and this made it easy for the host and myself. Female SS 2007
It might be worth suggesting to future scholars that they specifically ask their host if they would assist them in the first instance with local advice about things that facilitate them getting established e.g., (1) optimal cell service providers; (2) cable, internet providers; (3) optimal places to live; (4) local maps of area. Certainly as a Senior Scholar with a limited amount of time, I appreciated this level of input from my host who was terrific in this regard. Female SS 2007
I joined the Harvard Mediation Program where I was able to take courses and gain experience in the field of mediation. I also joined the Brookline MOMS club, which is how I met most of my friends and located resources and activities for my children. Through the club, I was able to explore many local sites and participate in cultural activities (from apple picking to Halloween parties). The club was very supportive of my family throughout our difficult year and even arranged meals for us when our daughter was born. I would highly recommend joining such an organization particularly if you are not undertaking paid employment. There is no substitute for having extended family around when you have young children, but this club has probably been the next best thing. Male PGS 2007