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
Pitt Global Experiences Students' Blog
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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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Ecuador is known for its biodiversity. There are four “regions” with four different climates in just one small country! So, it only makes sense that I travel around to experience all that Ecuador has to offer. Travelling this way in a group has way more positives than negatives. My favorite part is being able to explore different living styles alongside other students.
For the first leg of the trip, I am staying in a gorgeous hotel called Hotel San Francisco de Quito, in the heart of the old city. Though I do not recommend wondering the streets at night, it started to truly feel at... Read More -
It’s no secret that studying abroad can be expensive. Even after the tuition and the program fees, figuring out how to keep track of and save money on your daily expenses while actually living abroad is essential. Here are a few budgeting tips that I picked up from my time in Florence, Italy on the Pitt in Florence program to help you save some money when studying abroad without sacrificing your experience.
- Cook at home
The food was one of the things I was most excited for during my study abroad program in Italy, and it sure didn’t disappoint... 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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Here’s some things you should know about this life changing trip.
1. Students in your group are going to become your life-long best friends.Sure, pre-departure class is awkward, and I didn’t know half of their names the night before we left, but that changed quickly. I wouldn’t do anything differently about how I warmed up to my group, it was so natural. I think a lot of bonding happened when an Amazon River tried to take us down, when we had no electricity in the Amazon, and when we ate together for every single meal. Cherish the meals because that is when we reflected on the day... Read More -
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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For the past few days, I shut off my phone, lived with no electricity or soap, and opened my heart to the amazing Waorani People. When preparing for Ecuador, the concept of being a flexible traveler was stressed above all else. With almost no itinerary, my expectations for the trip were formed off of my own imagination. My group is the first ever to take the Plus3 program to Ecuador, so our advisors could not exactly tell us what to expect either.
Not only was I apart of the first Plus3 Ecuador groups, I was a part of the the first group of students to visit the Gomaton community.... Read More -
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