We both left our homes in the UK to study in the US, but our experiences couldn't have been more different

Insider's senior lifestyle reporter, Mikhaila Friel, left her home in Glasgow in 2016 for an exchange semester at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, also known as MU. She spent four months living on campus, located in a small college town, and took English, journalism, and creative writing classes.

Meanwhile, Insider's junior lifestyle reporter Maria Noyen left the UK in 2015 to start a four-year bachelor's degree in journalism at Boston University, also known as BU. Despite being half-American, this was her first time actually living in the US.

Mikhaila lived in Millersville, a borough of just 2 square miles, the university website states. Millersville has a population of around 8,367, according to World Population Review.

She felt that living on a small campus was beneficial, as it made making friends and finding her way around seamless.

By contrast, Maria lived in various neighborhoods in the city of Boston throughout college. She grew up outside of London so always wanted to experience city life.

While Boston is the 21st largest city in the US, according to the city's Research Bureau, it's also home to an array of different colleges and universities, which gave it a real college-town feel.

Four months was an ideal timeframe in Mikhaila's opinion, as it meant she could experience the best parts of study abroad — such as travel, culture, and new friendships — and return home to her family shortly after.

For Maria, four years in the US was perfect. When weighing up college at home versus the US, she took into account how if she stayed in the UK, she'd likely be limited to a three-year program and would need to know exactly what she wanted to study in her first year.

By choosing a US college, she could spend freshman year undecided and take a bunch of different classes to figure out her passions.

Mikhaila lived on campus at Millersville and shared a bedroom with another international student. At first, she was wary about the experience as students in the UK usually have their own private room. But she became fast friends with her roommate, and it wasn't an issue.

Maria spent her first and last year living on campus in Boston with roommates. Like Mikhaila, she wasn't exactly excited about the prospect of sharing a room with a stranger when she first arrived, but it did help shape better communication skills.

Though Maria opted to live in an off-campus apartment for her sophomore and junior year, she returned to campus senior year to live in one of the newer dorms with three roommates where she had her own room.

MU is a dry campus, meaning students are prohibited from consuming alcohol. This rule applied even if the person was of legal drinking age in the US, which is 21. Mikhaila didn't mind, as it meant the university had a wide range of activities that didn't revolve around drinking culture.

For Maria, it was a bit of a shock starting college in the US at 18 as someone who spent their senior year of high school legally being able to drink in the UK. But unlike Mikhaila's college, Boston University isn't a dry campus and allows students over the age of 21 to keep some alcohol in campus residences. It also has an on-campus pub, which Maria visited after turning 21.

Some of Maria's favorite memories of college revolve around food, and she's a firm believer that Boston is a culinary destination.

From classic Bostonian dishes like lobster rolls and cannoli, to the city's incredible international options like hot pot and ramen, she sampled it all. Boston had a variety of cuisines, which Maria came to see as a benefit of choosing a city for university.

Mikhaila didn't have as many local dishes to choose from. She did get to try Shoofly Pie at a local restaurant in Lancaster, just outside of MU. The local dish has a filling of brown sugar and spices and is commonly associated with Pennsylvania-Dutch cuisine.

During her four months at MU, Mikhaila spent her weekends traveling to different cities on the East Coast. She visited New York City, Washington D.C, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, and also spent time in New Jersey.

Since Maria has family in Puerto Rico, living in Boston provided great opportunities to visit the island more often, which she did for various Thanksgivings and even got to bring friends with her during her sophomore year spring break.

Depending on her class schedule or long weekends, she also could make short trips to New York City, Connecticut, Las Vegas, and also Miami, where her younger sister was studying.

Mikhaila had many friends who were international students, but she also found that the American students she met were extremely welcoming. Whether it was someone who lived in her building or a classmate, she was always meeting new people during the semester.

Maria felt the same way about making friends in Boston. From orientation and day-to-day classes, to joining a sorority and intramural sports, she felt like the US college experience was all about connecting people.

That said, she did gravitate toward international students – given that BU's student population is made up of over 30% internationals, and that Maria went to an international middle school and high school, this wasn't all too surprising to her.

Mikhaila and Maria were both in the US when Donald Trump was elected in 2016. At MU, Mikhaila was surprised by the festivities on election night. There were cardboard cutouts of both political candidates, games, and US-themed food in the food hall.

Leading up to the election, Maria attended a series of debates led by political student groups on campus. BU also released videos featuring students talking about who they were voting for, which famously included a segment with then-student Nicholas Fuentes. On election night, there were watch parties being held in dorms, at the BU pub, and various hangout spots around campus.

This level of celebration was something neither reporter had seen back in the UK for election nights.

Tea is a British staple, and the reporters noticed it wasn't as common in the US. In the UK, most people use a kettle, but Maria and Mikhaila were shocked to see some people use a microwave to heat up their tea.

When she moved out of her freshman dorm room, which only came equipped with a mini-fridge and microwave, getting a kettle for her off-campus apartment kitchen was one of Maria's top priorities.

Mikhaila's time in the US allowed her to travel and make friends for life. It not only allowed her to experience American culture, but to learn about all different cultures through the other international students. She'd recommend studying abroad to anyone who's able to.

Like Mikhaila, Maria wouldn't change her decision to study abroad in the US for the world. Being a long-haul flight away from home and family meant she became a lot more independent, formed close friendships, and got a four-year glimpse into what life in the US is all about.