Berea is located 14 miles southwest of downtown Cleveland. Greater Cleveland has 17 of the Fortune 500 companies’ headquarters and ninety corporations with sales of $100 million to $12 billion. Industrial investment is strong and investment in new construction downtown is valued at more than $2 billion. According to the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, the Cleveland area ranks high nationally in a number of areas in research and development
SOCIAL CUSTOMS
Like other countries, the U.S. has its own way of behavior patterns or customs. It is helpful to know some basic customs, however, there are many that cannot be explained here. It is better to learn them by interacting with American people. Observe, ask and read as much as possible.
Americans are diverse people coming from numerous social and cultural backgrounds. You can see different family structures and behavior patterns. But there are general patterns that can be seen in every American family.
Being on time, punctuality, is very important for Americans. They expect you to be on time and it is rude being late for appointments or meetings without any notice.
Most people in the U.S. dress informally, except for weddings, graduations, or other special occasions. Your national dress will be admired, and it is all right to wear it to social activities.
Americans do not usually embrace in public, except with members of their families or very close friends. Men usually shake hands the first time they meet. Women may do so in a social situation and usually do so in a business atmosphere.
“Hello!”, “Hi!”, “How are you?”, “How are you doing?”, “What's up?”, “How is everything going?”, are general informal types of greetings.
You will probably notice the informality between the students and the professors. Calling professors by their first name should not be taken as a lack of respect. For some professors it is preferable. DO NOT CALL A PROFESSOR BY HIS/HER FIRST NAME UNLESS YOU ARE TOLD IT IS OKAY. Respect for elders by younger people is expected, but not to the degree found in many other countries. For example, if you have a roommate 10-15 years older than you, she/he will not expect any special privileges because of the age difference.
Individuality is important for Americans. It is okay to discuss your ideas openly in a classroom even if they are different from other students or the instructor.
If you are invited to dinner, you should be on time. Dinner usually starts when all guests arrive. If you will be late, call your host with an approximate time of your arrival. If you want to smoke, always ask first. It is polite to compliment the host on the food. Generally, other than eating, conversation is one of the main parts of the dinner. Dinner parties are an opportunity to exchange knowledge about both cultures. Guests may not be familiar with your country and its customs and will appreciate hearing your views. If you are invited to a restaurant, always be prepared to pay your own bill. Usually when students go out together, everybody pays his/her own bill. It is customary to tip 15% of the pre-tax bill.
275 Eastland Rd.