<p>Hi, I'm from the UK and hopefully this year I'll be doing a year abroad at Texas A&M. I'm really excited but have loads of questions; if anyone can help, it will be much appreciated :D.</p>
<p>Are there a lot of international students that study there? If so, do they mix or do they stick together? (Just at my university they tend to stay together, kinda defeating the point really)</p>
<p>Northside or Southside? I'm leaning towards Northside because it seems more lively. I haven't got any forms yet though (ash cloud) so I probably won't get my first options.</p>
<p>What are the people like? Are they generally friendly? Do you like English people/are there lots that study there? Haha, I'm nervous I'm going to stick out like a sore thumb, especially since my dress sense is pretty english.</p>
<p>What do you do at the weekends socially? The drinking age is 21 and so unlike back home I wouldn't be able to drink (I'll be 20). Do you still drink on campus or is it quite strict?</p>
<p>Erm that's all I can think of right now. Thanks xx</p>
<p>I’m an incoming freshman, but I can offer some advice from my campus visit:</p>
<p>The students are very friendly and they respect their school. I would agree with you that Northside is more exciting. The pubs and downtown are just north of campus. The big box stores like Walmart are southeast of the school.</p>
<p>Hey, thanks for your reply. Yeah, I think I may have asked too many questions there haha. I’m glad about the friendliness because I can be a bit shy sometimes. Oh that’s good there’s a Walmart there too since I’m just packing clothes; not going to get much more in a suitcase :/.</p>
<p>When I visited two years ago I noticed that the international students, at least the Asian ones, stuck together. The language barrier may have been a reason for that though.</p>
<p>oh right :S. Hopefully that won’t happen to me, I’m british so no barrier for me apart from small things like zebra crossing/sidewalk and trash/rubbish :P. </p>
<p>Hows the weather there at this time of year? I’m going to burn so bad! I burn bright red in England never mind in Texas haha.</p>
<p>Here are the monthly weather averages:</p>
<p>[Average</a> Weather for College Station, TX - Temperature and Precipitation](<a href=“http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USTX0270]Average”>Ashburn, VA Monthly Weather Forecast - weather.com)</p>
<p>At the top left of the chart is the english/metric units toggle.</p>
<p>oh my! Looks like I’m going to be packing some serious suncream :O. Thankfully I will be missing July and most of August or I think I will remain as a lobster for the rest of my life. </p>
<p>Have you guys sorted out your halls of residence yet?</p>
<p>You are choosing a very different university experience. No offense to Aggies, but the school is just very different than everything you’ll encounter anywhere else in terms of the American university. The football games are fun to go to and there is a lot of school pride and spirit, for sure.</p>
<p>every university is different , A&M is a great school</p>
<p>BKs a UT grad lol so he is bias and “hating Aggies” is in his blood lol</p>
<p>haha true, I’m a UT grad, but I don’t hate Aggies. I’ve had many friends and family members attend aTm and I’ve had a good time in CS every time I went. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve never been to a game there that the Ags didn’t lose, though 
In fact, one could argue that Aggies are the ones who really hate UT and not so much the other way around. One only need to look to both schools fight songs to see which one despises the other more.</p>
<p>But seriously, our friend from across the pond will experience something that will be completely different than anything he would be getting at any other major American university. Aggies tend to have an enormous amount of school pride and traditions that don’t even exist at UT.</p>
<p>“Aggies tend to have an enormous amount of school pride and traditions that don’t even exist at UT.”
EXACTLY</p>
<p>@klparker312</p>
<p>I think UT also has a huge amount of pride. Our friend from the UK would no doubt see it at both schools. I think he would see something on a different scale at A&M though. Perhaps even things that might strike him as odd or peculiar; like a shrine to dogs burried close to the football stadium or the “red ass” and “nut squeeze” traditions that members the Corp perform just to name a few. These are the sorts of things that I speak of when I say “don’t even exist at UT.”</p>
<p>LOL -
you had to back track didn’t you BK696969
I think you had it pretty accurate the first time - Thanks & Gig’em.</p>
<p>I’m an international student at A & M as well. We get treated fine here , people are really friendly , and I’m sure they’ll love your accent.
I would say go southside , since I live there (yes I’m biased). There’s better food, a coffeeshop and every Friday night in the Studio 12 on southside there’s a kind of party with free movies and pizza and karaoke.</p>
<p>You can look up this organisation called the ISMA. They have events like parties , cultural events and trips for international students and can hook you up with a mentor.
Social life is fine.
There are many European exchange students and I know several. I don’t know many Englishmen though. I wouldn’t be worried cuz they fit in fine and you have a better command of English than they do.</p>
<p>hey thanks klparker312 and BK696969. I’m actually a girl (hence the name Kim :P) haha but thanks for your advice. </p>
<p>I have to admit, when looking up the university choices I had I was a bit apprehensive about the traditions, especially since the bonfire one killed a few people! But I preferred the culture of Texans to that of Utah and Oklahoma…well what I read about them anyway. I heard that A&M is very friendly and as I’m a bit on the shy side, thought it would suit me better. </p>
<p>Toussaint, thanks for your advice. Oh, I thought there would be quite a few from the UK. To be fair though, I’m the only one from my university and will be studying Genetics, an exchange that they haven’t done before. I guess I’ll be all on my lonesome 
haha. I’ve applied for Northside cos that’s where the party’s at ;). </p>
<p>Oh you know when you first got there…did they open accomm up for you guys? I’ll be there like 2 weeks beforehand and so might have to get a hotel room :S. x</p>
<p>I don’t think i ever referenced you as a he…lol, I had that all figured out by your name.
It was our UT friend who didn’t figure that one out!</p>
<p>And heck Yes - Texas A&M would beat any University in Oklahoma or Utah any day!</p>
<p>how very clever of you :P. That’s what I thought, Texas seemed much cooler and less intense and a bit more modern.</p>
<p>Welcome to our great university.
I am going to be a junior Econ major next year and would love to welcome you to college station. To answer your initial questions everyone is very friendly and you will be accepted very easily and you will probably find a lot of people intrigued by the fact that you are from the UK. In reference to the drinking age here in the US its not really an issue for college students to obtain alcohol even if they are under the age limit. Drinking in the dorm isn’t really hard to do but the repercussions are great if you get caught so I wouldn’t recommend that. Once again welcome to are great university I hope you enjoy it, and if you need anything feel free to email me at <a href="mailto:thehottmatt@gmail.com">thehottmatt@gmail.com</a>.</p>
<p>hi, yeah I think I will be a Junior too; I’m taking level 3 classes. </p>
<p>What you said about the alcohol is surprising. Here it’s quite hard to get alcohol unless you have a fake ID or know someone older. They ID you if you look under 25 even though the drinking age is 18. But youre allowed to drink if you have parental permission. Do a lot of people get caught then? If so, what kind of stuff do you do at the weekends? :S</p>
<p>Not a lot of people get caught. Personally I only have a few friends who have. Her its mainly house parties where people who are over 21 provide the alcohol but their are a few gas stations that don’t card at all you just have to know where they are. They are supposed to card you if they think you look under thirty.</p>
<p>Wait what was your major again?</p>