Currency--Show me the Money

Currency—Show me the Money
By: Angela Martello

Currency from around the world comes in different colors, styles, and sizes. Most college freshman realize how quickly money is spent on only a small amount; the eleven freshmen currently studying abroad have come to realize this very quickly.

Most of us we stepped off the plane never having been to the United Kingdom before. I’m from a small town in New York called Sleepy Hollow and I have only traveled outside of the country a few times during high school, but never to the United Kingdom. As we acclimated to the ways of life in Britain more specifically in London we realized the American dollar does not go nearly as far as it would at home.

When we first went to the bank it was as if we were taking out monopoly money, each numerical bill is a different color and a different size. The coins are also the same way as the bills, as foreigners we have been very confused at times, both when paying for food or buying clothing. We would try to count out change and we would actually have to read each coin before we became familiarized with knowing the sizes and shapes of each coin.

Since we have been here for some time we have become more experienced and handling the currency has become second nature for most of us. The currency exchange rate fluctuates every day but it is roughly 2.00 USD to 1.00 GBP. The coins are more popularly used than in America, they have a £2, £1, 50p, 20p, 10p, 5p, 2p, and 1p, where as for bills they commonly use the £5, £10, £20, and £50. Even though we have only been out of the States for a little more than six weeks we have become accustom to British money and it is strange to feel, see, and smell American money.

Although we are having the time of our lives, with such an amazing experience that most students (let alone first semester freshman) never experience it will be nice to go home.