A video of a university student from the United Kingdom explaining the "culture shock" of moving to Ohio for her studies has gone viral on TikTok.
The video was shared by Jemima Bennett (@jembennett__), a 22-year-old from Bristol, England, who is a student at UWE Bristol (University of the West England Bristol). "I study marketing and make content for traveling," Bennett told Newsweek.
Bennett says the viral clip, which has garnered 1.1 million views since it was shared on October 24, "focuses on things that shocked me the most upon moving to America." She noted that "these were things I was not aware of" and found to be "the biggest culture shock."
The viral post comes as a record high of 1.1 million students from around the world were reported to have studied in the United States, marking a seven percent increase from 2022-2023, according to a report for the 2023-2024 academic year from the Institute of International Education (IIE), as noted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
International students contributed more than $50 billion to the U.S. economy, with California, New York and Texas hosting the largest international student populations, the IIE report found.
Bennett moved to Bowling Green State University in Ohio as she "had always dreamed of the opportunity to move to America and study there," she told Newsweek.
"It was too expensive for me to do as a full undergraduate so when I saw my English university offered the chance to move there on a study year abroad, I applied instantly," she noted.
Below, we unpack the "biggest things" about America that "shocked" Bennett the most include the following:
Portion Sizes
Bennett told Newsweek: "The portion of food sizes being much bigger in America."
Showing an image of a hand placed next to a large square of dessert in the clip, the poster shared how "insane" the portion sizes are "compared to England." She noted that she has to be "disciplined af [as f***] with the food here to not put on weight."
Bathroom Stalls
Bennett told Newsweek that she was blown away by "how small the toilet doors are, with gaps [in the bathroom doors] meaning less privacy."
Showing a picture of a bathroom stall, the poster asks in the clip: "Why is there such large gaps above and below the door?"
Dorm Room Beds
Bennett was also surprised by the single bed set up in the room she shares with her roommate.
"Having beds lifted up off the floor," was a shock for the poster, and "most are nearly as high as the ceiling," she told Newsweek.
At her university back in England, she had one of the cheaper accommodation options and it came with a double bed and en-suite bathroom, the poster wrote in the clip which shows an image of two single beds in a dorm room setting.
She did note that she is "blessed" as she loves her roommate who is "the best."
The Sororities and Fraternities
Featuring a picture of two women standing inside what appears to be the Pi Beta Phi sorority house, the poster noted she was taken aback by "the sorority and fraternity life."
Explaining that she's "never seen anything like this in my life," Bennett said it "would send most Brits into a coma."
Taking Pictures for Everything
The poster also noted how Americans "make a photo opportunity out of everything." The clip shows two women standing outdoors next to a "BGS" signage, holding up a chalkboard saying: "Year 3 Bowling Green State University."
The University Merchandise
Bennett said she was shocked by "how big of a deal university merch is."
In a note overlaid on the clip, she explains that in England, it's "high key weird" to wear university merchandise, unless "it's your sports team stuff." But she's surprised that in the U.S., "everyone just wears it every day."
The Amount of Homework
The poster was also floored by how there is "homework at university that's due for literally every class."
She believes that university in the U.S. is more similar in structure to "senior school" in the U.K. than university in the U.K.
How Plastic Is 'Used for Everything'
Bennett also described her shock at "the amount of plastic used for everything."
The poster shared an image of a plastic box of salad, packets of salad dressing and a plastic cup of yogurt. A message overlaid on the clip notes her shock at "how literally everything is wrapped in plastic."
Soda vs. Water
She also told Newsweek about her surprise at "how easy it is to access soda" and how it's easier to access soda than water.
Jaywalking Laws
A note overlaid on the video, which shows a car at a stop light on a street corner, says: "Jaywalking is defined as when a pedestrian crosses a street in a way that is illegal, unsafe or careless, such as by not using a crosswalk or by crossing when the signal is red. You can receive fines/penalties for jaywalking."
She noted that "in England, we just cross whenever, wherever."
Homes With No Fences
Bennett also noted how "most houses don't have a fence or wall for their garden to separate them from other houses." It has left her "wondering how people's dogs don't just run off."
Signing Receipts After Buying Drinks
Featuring an image of crowds in a club setting, the poster noted she was perplexed by how you need to sign the receipts for buying any drink at a bar or club. She noted: "I be drunk af [as f***] tryna [trying to] sign these things."
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