Editor’s note: Maria Caceres is a journalism student at Central Connecticut State University and a freelance reporter for The Bristol Edition. She is studying abroad in Hatfield, England, and thought it might be interesting to report on her experiences as a student in England, where she is taking journalism classes along with philosophy and literature and traveling around Europe whenever she can.
By Maria Caceres
Hello from England, I feel like every day I spend in this country I am able to learn something new. To those who might travel to the United Kingdom for the first time, you might notice that all the outlets have an on and off switch. This is a standard requirement to have because of a fact that I just recently learned.
In the United State, the standard output of an outlet is 110 volts, that means that they can be constantly running and you won’t be electrocuted by simply plugging something in. However, in the U.K., the standard is 220 volts which means it would not only be a fire hazard to have it constantly running, it would be dangerous to try to plug something in.
The switch is meant to make sure that the outlet isn’t constantly putting out powers alongside many others for safety. It was really hard to get used to having to turn my outlets on and off and many of my devices were on low battery because I kept forgetting. However, I have been living in the country for about a month now and have been slowly getting used to the new ways of life here.
Turning on the switch isn’t just for the outlets, as of what I know, in my dorm building I have to switch on the stove and oven before I use them or they will not turn on. When I first arrived in the country, I felt like it was an inconvenience to have to keep turning on the switches and remembering to turn it off. As I started getting used to it, it became second nature and now I switch them without thinking about it. It is also safer because of the fact that the outlets are turned off most of the time and there are less factors to shock yourself.
I have been enjoying my classes and traveling throughout the country to visit new sights.
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