Charlie McKinney - Louisiana State University, USA

ISEP Study Abroad programme 2022/23

“The best year of my life and nothing will compare to it ever again!”

American culture

The southern culture is very different with their accents, cowboy hats and boots, and their love of crawfish. They have a huge obsession with American Football which is notable.

LSU has one of the best Football programmes in all of America, with the likes of Joe Burrow being a student before drafting into the NFL. Going to these college football games is an unreal experience where you wouldn’t get the same thing anywhere else: 100 thousand people in attendance, huge student section filled with over 5 thousand students.

Adventures to remember

I got to travel all over the US while studying abroad. I went to New York, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Austin, New Orleans, Denver, San Francisco, Orlando,  Las Vegas. I visited loads of national parks such as Grand Canyon, Zion, Rockies, Yosemite. I cannot forget to mention the trip to Puerto Rico too!

Friends for life

I had a group of around 30 international students throughout the 2 semesters that I could easily call now or go and see them. Throughout the year we all travelled together to various places: 16 of us flew to Puerto Rico for a week and 13 of us had a 3 week road trip across America from Denver to San Francisco.

It was an amazing time and something most exchange students don’t even get to experience while abroad. I consider myself very lucky.

Advice

As soon as you get there get into contact with the international organisation and meet others who are in the same boat as yourself. I have some of my best friends from Netherlands, France, Spain, Germany and many more places because of this!

And say “yes” to everything, don’t miss out on any opportunities because you’ll regret it later on.