memoirs of a student: dorm living abroad

I'd spent two years living in a dorm at college in the States before I went to England. I'd thought it'd be fairly similar, all things considered. A large building full of students who lived together sharing common space. What else?

For reasons I no longer recall, I was placed on one of two International floors. In many ways, it was more the "Mature Student" lodging, since most of us living there were at least two years older than the first-year students. Froshes, as they called them. Additionally, many of the students coming from the States and the EU were only there for a semester or a year. I felt like the odd man out being an American and starting from scratch. Again. But it was all good. There was an outgoing group from BIOLA, a college in California, who welcomed me into their crowd. It was nice to have some sort of common ground I suppose. Not knowing what to expect together. I had met them through the International Student Union after going on a bus tour of London.