Throughout my time studying abroad in Berlin, I encountered many challenges I had never faced before. This was my first time in Europe and my first time living in a foreign country so I had to work to adapt to the culture. Overall, I feel like I did a good job overcoming the challenges I faced in Germany. I went into the program having completed cross-cultural training which helped with the cultural challenges, and it sounds dumb but my positive attitude helped me with all the other challenges. I came in knowing there were going to be hiccups along the way so I tried my best to laugh off... Read More
Pitt Global Experiences Students' Blog
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“Home away from home.”
I feel like I heard this phrase a hundred times when I was preparing to study abroad, watching videos and reading blogs just like this one, and I was more than a bit nervous. How was I supposed to find home in Italy when home would be a literal ocean away? These doubts swirled in my head as I made my way across the Atlantic and through the Tuscan countryside, but when I first stepped into my apartment in Florence, my nerves began to subside.
Rather than living in a dorm with only Pitt students or living with an Italian host family, I found the living... Read More -
My Berlin accommodation is a cozy European-sized apartment at the Citadines, an apartment hotel located in Kurfürstendamm. If you go on Google Maps, it’s southwest of the word Berlin. Our in-country advisor arranged for all IIP students to stay here, and so far, it’s been great and I absolutely love the area that we’re in. There are lots of restaurants and small shops, and it’s close to bus stops and train stations that can take you anywhere in the city. It’s on a street we call the “Rodeo of Berlin,” so we’ve seen a ton of supercars. I have one roommate who is also in the IIP program. I... Read More
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Before attending my study abroad program in London, I was worried about whether or not I would be able to adjust to the living situation there. However, it was not as hard as I expected and the living arrangements I was given were in a great part of the city, right near the iconic London Tower Bridge! The university coordinates with a study abroad company to send students abroad and they arranged all the housing accommodations for us. We were given a housing questionnaire before the program started asking about our daily schedules and preferences. Based on this, we were assigned our... Read More
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As a double major in English Writing and Linguistics preparing for my upcoming junior year, my classes back at Pitt were really starting to focus on my majors, with not a ton of variety outside those two disciplines. In contrast, my goal when picking a study abroad program was to find a program that would allow me to fulfill the rest of my general education requirements and try something new. One of my remaining gen-eds was the Geographic Region requirement - what better way to learn about a geographic region than to experience it firsthand?
With Pitt in Florence, the program... Read More -
Having completed my study abroad program in London and coming back home, I have had time to reflect on my experiences while abroad and how they have influenced not only my professional development, but my academic and personal growth as well. Before going on this program, I had hoped to be able to learn more about what business looked like internationally and be able to bring what I learned back with me and use it in future academic and professional endeavors. I believe that this experience allowed me to accomplish that and more. It has also given me an insight into what I would like my... Read More
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During my time in London, I took an international finance class through CAPA, which is the program that coordinates study abroad with Pitt. This class was similar to my classes at Pitt in terms of things like class structure and assignments and I really enjoyed learning about international finance in a different country as it allowed me draw upon differences between what the finance world looked like in London and in America. The class assignments included a midterm, a final, and a final group project however the material our professor taught us adequately prepared us for these assignments... Read More
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Studying abroad has made a big impact on my career goals and how I see my future. Staying in Austria was such a great experience, and it made me want to go back for a longer period of time. I had always wanted to go to a German-speaking country for at least a few weeks to experience the culture and practice German, but I thought that would be good enough. I stay very busy with my academic pursuits and have a lot of plans for myself once I graduate, so I thought this might me my only trip to Europe for a long time. This study abroad experience, however, has made me prioritize going back.... Read More
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During my time in Salzburg, I stayed at the St. Sebastian Institute. There were dorms there for students, but the institute also functioned as a hostel, so travelers were always coming and going. I shared my dorm with two other students from my program. Though it would have been interesting to live with someone from Austria, it was nice to come back at the end of the day to people I knew and could study with. We had our own bathroom, but the kitchen was in a common space shared with everyone else living on the floor. Each person had their own little locked cubby and fridge section to keep... Read More
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I experienced a lot of growth personally, academically, and professionally throughout my time in Berlin in a short period of time. For me, I learn best when I’m put into new situations. Although stressful at times, I almost like that feeling of being “thrown into the fire”. This program was the perfect balance of being thrown into an uncomfortable foreign environment without feeling like I was completely on my own. Sure, I was in Europe the furthest I’ve ever lived from home working my first ever internship, but at the same time, I was with a group of students all in similar situations.... Read More