Going to US for a Year, What State?

Off Topic
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[quote]Tx5000 wrote:
Hey guys, next year im going to be an exchange student in the US, so i was wondering which state you think i should go to? California and NY is currently full.

I want to be in a state with an ok clima, and where people generally are nice people, and not super religious fanatics either. Anyone got any suggestions? Im thinking of Virgina or North Carolina, since its on the coast, but dont really know much about the difference of the states.
:)[/quote]

Try South Carolina. It’s great down there. Especially Charleston with the beaches and the laid back people. it’s A great place to live!

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[quote]Tx5000 wrote:
Thanx for the help guys. I am going to stay for 10 months, but havent decided whitch state, yet.[/quote]

Don’t pick based on state. Pick based on school or city.
List the available schools if you can.

If you went to TX you experience would be dramatically different in Austin compared to El Paso.

Most Europeans don’t really have a feel for how huge the US is until they visit for the first time. Driving from one side of a state to the other can take a whole day.

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Are you in high school or college?

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[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Tx5000 wrote:
Thanx for the help guys. I am going to stay for 10 months, but havent decided whitch state, yet.

Don’t pick based on state. Pick based on school or city.
List the available schools if you can.

If you went to TX you experience would be dramatically different in Austin compared to El Paso.

Most Europeans don’t really have a feel for how huge the US is until they visit for the first time. Driving from one side of a state to the other can take a whole day.[/quote]

The best advice so far.

Look for a school strong in your area of study with extra-curricular activities you enjoy and you’ll enjoy your time in what ever state you choose while getting a feel for america.

If you are wanting to experience a particular subculture of the US, then you may want to pick by region, but a number of schools or states in a given region will represent one another just the same. Texas and Louisiana exceptions IMO.

Texas because it is so big it spans the “old south” midwest and west. You can even experience a little bit of Mexico in Texas, or just go to Mexico for the weekend. Louisiana because of the cajun and zydeco cultures. It’s almost a different country. And LSU is a fun school. Look in to LSU.

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[quote]texasguy1 wrote:
… And LSU is a fun school. Look in to LSU. [/quote]

I have partied there. It rocks.

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[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
texasguy1 wrote:
… And LSU is a fun school. Look in to LSU.

I have partied there. It rocks.[/quote]

Hell yeah.

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[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
texasguy1 wrote:
… And LSU is a fun school. Look in to LSU.

I have partied there. It rocks.[/quote]

Fucking right!

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Speaking of LSU, there is nothing like being at Tiger stadium on game day. Electrifying. People tailgating, cooking oodles of good food, dressed in their purple and gold, all abuzz waiting for kickoff.

Oh yea, and lots of drinking.

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Tempe, Arizona for sure… that is if you like it hot?

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[quote]Squiggles wrote:
Don’t go to VA if you want nice people - lived there long enough to know that no one smiles, you must learn to drive with no fear and much assertion, and road rage is triggered by nothing (watched a guy get pummeled with a bat when I was around 7). Highways in VA are like nothing else.

Some places I like:

Orlando Florida is an awesome city. Tampa is the pits, but Orlando is great. It is a beautiful city, a lot to do, very clean and open, people are nice, only an hour or so drive to Clearwater beach. I was surprised at how great it is the first time I went. Definitely love Orlando.

Boulder or Buena Vista Colorado, if you like the beauty of the outdoors. Denver has a lot to do, but I don’t particularly like staying there. Weather is nice and stable, predictable, and the mountains are absolutely beautiful.

New York Niagara. If you can stand the tourist, it is a nice place. A lot to do there, casinos, some really crazy stuff. Weather can be crazy sometimes, but the Falls are great.

Just some suggestions, good luck wherever you choose!
[/quote]

Agreed, the Urban areas and highways suck here. The small towns are great, especially in the Shenandoah area, but you’d probably get bored in a small town.

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I visited Dallas for a few days and Southern Methodist University has some of the finest broads I’ve ever seen

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[quote]Uncle Gabby wrote:
Squiggles wrote:
Don’t go to VA if you want nice people - lived there long enough to know that no one smiles, you must learn to drive with no fear and much assertion, and road rage is triggered by nothing (watched a guy get pummeled with a bat when I was around 7). Highways in VA are like nothing else.

Some places I like:

Orlando Florida is an awesome city. Tampa is the pits, but Orlando is great. It is a beautiful city, a lot to do, very clean and open, people are nice, only an hour or so drive to Clearwater beach. I was surprised at how great it is the first time I went. Definitely love Orlando.

Boulder or Buena Vista Colorado, if you like the beauty of the outdoors. Denver has a lot to do, but I don’t particularly like staying there. Weather is nice and stable, predictable, and the mountains are absolutely beautiful.

New York Niagara. If you can stand the tourist, it is a nice place. A lot to do there, casinos, some really crazy stuff. Weather can be crazy sometimes, but the Falls are great.

Just some suggestions, good luck wherever you choose!

Agreed, the Urban areas and highways suck here. The small towns are great, especially in the Shenandoah area, but you’d probably get bored in a small town.[/quote]

Blacksburg was great when my wife went to VT. Nice outdoor activity close by and the big college thing.

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[quote]Zap Branigan wrote:
Uncle Gabby wrote:
Squiggles wrote:
Don’t go to VA if you want nice people - lived there long enough to know that no one smiles, you must learn to drive with no fear and much assertion, and road rage is triggered by nothing (watched a guy get pummeled with a bat when I was around 7). Highways in VA are like nothing else.

Some places I like:

Orlando Florida is an awesome city. Tampa is the pits, but Orlando is great. It is a beautiful city, a lot to do, very clean and open, people are nice, only an hour or so drive to Clearwater beach. I was surprised at how great it is the first time I went. Definitely love Orlando.

Boulder or Buena Vista Colorado, if you like the beauty of the outdoors. Denver has a lot to do, but I don’t particularly like staying there. Weather is nice and stable, predictable, and the mountains are absolutely beautiful.

New York Niagara. If you can stand the tourist, it is a nice place. A lot to do there, casinos, some really crazy stuff. Weather can be crazy sometimes, but the Falls are great.

Just some suggestions, good luck wherever you choose!

Agreed, the Urban areas and highways suck here. The small towns are great, especially in the Shenandoah area, but you’d probably get bored in a small town.

Blacksburg was great when my wife went to VT. Nice outdoor activity close by and the big college thing.[/quote]

Yeah, the highlands area is beautiful too. Problem with blacksburg is that like half the population is the University. I get tired of looking at college kids everywhere I go. But if you are a college kid it’d be ok I guess.

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It’s High school im going to. I turn 18 some months after i get to US. I can only choose school or city if i already have arranged to live with someone, and since i haven’t, i can only choose wich state i want to go to.

Just hope i dont come to a obese family, where they live on donuts, so that i need to buy my own food, lol.

I really want to live in a state where there are beaches, and good climate. Off course there needs to be a gym there to. I asked about Hawaii, but don’t think it was possible to go there.

I gotta learn american football though, that looks way cooler than soccer :slight_smile:

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[quote]Tx5000 wrote:

I gotta learn american football though, that looks way cooler than soccer :)[/quote]

We think so too. :wink:

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[quote]Mr. Clean & Jerk wrote:
Massachusetts doesn’t have nice people, but it still rocks. Awesome.[/quote]

+1

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[quote]Tx5000 wrote:
It’s High school im going to. I turn 18 some months after i get to US. I can only choose school or city if i already have arranged to live with someone, and since i haven’t, i can only choose wich state i want to go to.

Just hope i dont come to a obese family, where they live on donuts, so that i need to buy my own food, lol.

I really want to live in a state where there are beaches, and good climate. Off course there needs to be a gym there to. I asked about Hawaii, but don’t think it was possible to go there.

I gotta learn american football though, that looks way cooler than soccer :)[/quote]

Look at the ratings for obesity in the US and pick a state with a low rating to improve your chances of avoiding a fatty family.

For beaches you’ll want to look at california, florida and parts of Texas. The further down the Texas coast you go the better the beaches get. Try Corpus Christi through S. Padre. Remember, If you live in West Texas you may as well live in Kansas for beach proximity. For a good climate, you may be limited to Southern California though. It gets hot around the gulf.

There are gyms every where.

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Congrats on coming here. As far as U.S. states go, Canada is pretty nice. So is Mexico. And despite names to the contrary, New Mexico and Mexico are pretty much the same age (New Mexico might even be older).

You don’t need to go to Pennsylvania, since you have to drive through it to get anywhere else. Delaware is cool and you can drive across it several times in one day, plus it’s right in the middle of several big cities that you’ll want to get to while you’re here (Wash DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, NY, Boston, Camden (just kidding).

DB

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Guys, the dude’s from Norway, Europe - to them, Madison WI is not “left-wing liberal” but quite on the center. And you’re telling him to go to Texas? lol

[quote]Tx5000 wrote:
I want to be in a state with an ok clima, and where people generally are nice people, and not super religious fanatics either.[/quote]

You being from Norway, the weather anywhere in the States will seem nice and warm.

Madison, Wisconsin is a very liberal place. Great university too.

Beware of Texas if you don’t like the more conservative side of the american culture. There are nice places over there, but there are also places you may not like.

California, especially the San Francisco Bay Area (anywhere around the Bay - Berkeley, Stanford, etc.) would be a place you will fall in love with. Don’t go there, you wouldn’t want to leave.

Portland, Oregon would be nice too, but it rains a lot.

As a rule of thumb, just stay away from the middle of the continent and keep the oceans nearby.

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Oh yeah, something important:

Those Speedo’s that you wear at the swimming pool? (assuming you don’t normally go to the nudist beach)

Forget about it. Don’t even bring those things here. You’ll have to purchase the local version if you wanna go swimming. They look like some sort of soccer shorts. This is not a joke.

It will feel funny for a while, but then you’ll get used to wearing soccer shorts at the swimming pool.