US pupil asks for suggestions earlier than transfer to Nottingham on TikTok – and a few responses are hilarious
Tips given to an American student who asked for advice before moving to Nottingham included pre-drinking now, downloading the Wetherspoons app, and staying away from the lions in Old Market Square that roar when you do get too close and bite.
Landon Harris, 20, who is studying at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina, will be coming to town in January for a student exchange program.
She wrote on TikTok and said, “So I’m moving to England in a month, Nottingham in particular, and my brain is telling me it’s no different from the US, but I know if you want advice have this little American, let me know. “
The video, which had more than four million views, drew 46,000 comments – many helpful and some not quite as useful.
There were top tips for eating and drinking. Get the Wetherspoon App, Greggs is your friend when you need a quick breakfast, shop for a Tesco specialty food, and be sure to hit donotts.
“If you go to a kebab shop at the end of the night and don’t address the waiter as ‘boss’, you will be kicked out,” was another great piece of advice.
Others said she had no problem settling in. “University life in Notts is huge, so expect lots of students, nightlife and bars in the city center,” said one.
There was mixed advice on alcohol.
One user advised her to start pre-drinking now and another advised: “Don’t try to keep up with your drinking, you will be dead in the end. You can have 5 beers and go about your life.”
The popular student hangout, Ocean, received several mentions – one warning: “DO NOT touch, I repeat, DO NOT touch the bottom of the ocean.”
Good local knowledge is key. “If someone says ‘Darling’ or ‘Duck’ don’t worry – those are centuries-old caresses. England is very different from the United States,” said a poster.
Landon was directed to name the Victoria Center “Viccy Center”, cautioned not to worry about the sheer number of pigeons, and to wonder where Robin Hood was born.
Watch out for pigeons everywhere
(Image: Nottingham Post)
Some told her to prepare for the weather, buy a down jacket, and bring lots of sweaters. “Always be prepared for the weather to change and cycle through all seasons within 3 hours,” was one of the responses.
The obsession with Britain as a nation of tea drinkers also emerged. “Just don’t go around asking people, do you drink tea all the time? JUST NOT !!!! “one wrote while another made it clear that tea should be made with a kettle, not the microwave.
Landon was also advised to check out The Inbetweeners, Horrible Histories, and Gavin and Stacey for a snapshot of British life.
And BBC Radio 1 told her to go to Trent Bridge, home of the Notts County Cricket Club, for the British baseball game.
There have been opposing views on Nottingham, ranging from “my advice would be not to go to Nottingham” at one end of the scale to a more positive one: “I moved to Nottingham from LA a year ago. It’s honestly amazing. “
Not all of the answers were entirely sincere. “Book your summer vacation in Grimsby, it’s the most beautiful part of Great Britain”, was one of them.
Probably the most common piece of advice was related to the pronunciation of the city, after Landon called it NottingHAM.
Dozens of people jumped in to correct them. “It’s ‘Noh-ing-um’, see you in ‘ockley’,” said a local.
To read the biggest and best stories, sign up here first to read our newsletter.
Comments are closed.