My Study Abroad Diary: Jamaica
Undergraduate student Imani Palmer talks about her year abroad in Jamaica.
Imani in Jamaica
BA Sociology and Criminology student Imani Palmer takes us through her first term studying abroad in Jamaica.
When I was told that I had been allocated Jamaica as my place of study for my year abroad, I was ecstatic. I have a Jamaican background and thought that this would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to live and study in my homeland, rather than visiting for a short period of time in the summer.
The lead up to my departure from the UK was an emotional rollercoaster. I was experiencing a mixture of feelings: nerves, excitement, worry and much more, but I knew that this would be a great opportunity for self-development. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic there was so much uncertainty as to whether I was going on my year abroad. It was only confirmed that I would be able to attend two weeks prior to the date I had planned to arrive. I booked my flight two weeks before, and had so much planning and organising to do! Covid has made travelling much more complex, and this was the first time I'd be travelling such a long distance by myself, which made it even more stressful. During this overwhelming time, I would say that family and friends are of great importance.
On the 6th of August, I departed for Jamaica
Saying goodbye to my Dad and Nan at Gatwick airport made reality kick in, and it was official…I was moving to Jamaica. I arrived on Independence Day, which was such a coincidence. However, the streets were quiet due to the Prime Minister implementing a lockdown on national holidays. My first two weeks were spent in quarantine: endless days of doing nothing, catching up on Love Island and spending time cooking with my cousin. Staying with family during my quarantine meant that I wasn’t short of indulging in delicious home-cooked Jamaican meals! On the 26th of August, I moved onto campus at the University of West Indies, and this is where my new journey officially started.
The last three months in Jamaica have been the best of my life
Being a third-generation migrant in the UK, sometimes you feel disconnected from your culture. Being able to spend such a significant amount of time in my homeland has made me appreciate my heritage and exposed me to greater depths of my Jamaican culture. Needless to say, life in Jamaica is very different to the UK: I wake up to the blazing sun every morning (with many mosquito bites), the sound of crickets, and a lizard that has taken residence in my room!
I have enjoyed meeting tonnes of people from all different walks of life. I know that I have made life-long friends from all over the world! I have learnt so much from the people that I am surrounded by, and I can truly say that I learn something new every day. Being here for such a long period of time has made me appreciate many of the things that we take for granted in the UK. Every day I wake up feeling blessed and grateful for this opportunity that has been given to me.
I've enjoyed immersing myself into the Caribbean culture both academically and physically
The academia here is very Caribbean-centric, so it has been a pleasure to learn about my culture from an academic perspective. Being an ethnic minority in the UK, there is very little opportunity to learn about yourself and where you come from within an academic setting. The majority of teaching about your heritage and culture is done externally through your family or your own independent research. It has been a great change, being able to relate back to the curricular that I am being taught and knowing that I am learning about my history.
The academic system here is very intense; you are required to do five courses (modules) per semester. I am taking courses across the Social Sciences department and Humanities and Education department. The courses include: Caribbean Social Issues, Caribbean Culture, Culture of Rastafari, Identity and Conduct in Dancehall Culture, and Police and Society. The approach to studying in the Caribbean is very interactive, where you are often marked on your levels of interactivity within class. Simply turning up to your class can equate to 10% of your final grade. Many of my courses would normally include a number of field trip elements, but due to Covid these course elements have been removed. The normal university day runs between 8am-8pm. I can say it has been quite challenging waking up for my 8am class on a Monday morning! There are a range of assignment types such as written assignments, group presentations and multi media essays. It has been challenging balancing school life, my social life, and pursuing my personal hobbies. However, I am slowly learning to take each day as it comes and take a more laid-back approach to life.
Outside of academia...I've been pursuing my personal hobby of DJing
If you're from the Caribbean, you know that music plays a significant part of our culture. I would consider myself as a multi-genre DJ who specialises in Dancehall (take a look at my Spotify). Dancehall emerged in Jamaica, and I have thoroughly enjoyed taking a course all about my favourite genre. It has been interesting learning about Dancehall from an academic perspective, where I have been able to DJ as part of some assessments for this course!
The situation with Covid has been fluctuating, meaning that there has been limited opportunities for me to immerse myself in the DJ culture here in Jamaica. My first three months have comprised of multiple lockdown days and curfew. However, I had the pleasure of appearing on one of the biggest radio stations in Jamaica twice to showcase my talent and conduct an interview with Miss Emprezz Golding. I also had the privilege of playing at events hosted by the University of West Indies. I'm excited for what is to come with my DJing career in Jamaica.
As well as this, I have been exploring Jamaica: visiting the beaches, national treasures, restaurants, bars and museums. I am able to appreciate the beauty of my homeland and am immersing myself in the nature and culture around me. I'm looking forward to further exploring Jamaica, as well as potentially visiting other Caribbean islands whilst I am here.
The past three months have been challenging, insightful and enjoyable
Being so far away from home has been hard at times, but I'm looking forward to seeing my family, who will be coming to see me at Christmas! I am excited for the coming months and can’t wait to see what life in Jamaica has in store for me in the coming year.