Questions Foreign Students Have Always Wanted To Ask

Yesterday we brought you the first in a series exploring the things that international students find strange about the UK. From the food, to the politicians, to the pedestrian crossings, there was plenty of British weirdness on show.

Well, you lucky people haven't had to wait long for part two of this series- in fact, here it is now! Today, we're looking at all those questions that foreign students have about Britain and British students, but have never dared ask.

As with yesterday, the students we spoke to come from around the world but have all studied at both American colleges and British universities. Thanks again go to Tessa who led the discussions, as she came up with some real gems.

And here is where you can get involved. Below is a list of all the questions our students came up with. We want you to vote for your favourite ones (or even come up with your own) over the next few weeks. We'll then answer the most popular questions. Comment below the article with your favourites or let us know on our Facebook page. 

So, without further ado:

What questions have you always wanted to ask, but never dared?

Food & Drink

• Why is almost all of the typical British food brown? Why aren't there more colours?
• Why Pimms?
• Why is drinking tea so popular?
• What is the difference between cream tea and regular tea?
• Why do grocery stores close so early?

University Life

• What is it like to have students serving other students at your college bars?
• Do you know what pregaming is and do students pregame before going out at night?
• Is wearing sweatshirts with your college sweatshirt popular to do in the UK as not many have been seen?

Entertainment & Sport

• What is the best soccer/football team?
• How come there are so many outside concert festivals in parks even though the weather is usually predicted as rainy and cold?
• Were you happy that London hosted the 2012 Olympics? Did you go to the events or leave the country to avoid the crowds?
• Do you like the Eurovision song contest? Do you take it seriously?

British Stereotypes

• What do you actually think of the Royal Family and their role in Britain? 
• What would you say are some stereotypes about the British? Are they true?
• What did you, as a local British student, do for the jubilee? Did you attend all the major events and sites or take a less-touristy approach to the weekend?
• What is going to happen to the BBC and the TV license in the future?

Other

• How come most of the British newspapers are focused on more soft news, such as celebrities and general tabloid topics? A lot of articles have a minimal amount of quoting and mentioned sources - how do people know all the information is factual?
• Why are a lot of newspapers shaped like magazines- in a smaller format and stapled in the middle?
• Why do so many children ride a scooter to school in the morning?

So, what do you think? Comment below with your favourite questions and join us on Facebook to answer the polls over the coming weeks. 

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