As a participant of the Pitt in Spain Study Abroad Program, I have been selected to stay in the dorms at La Universidad de Alcalá in the city of Alcalá de Henares. Before arriving, I wasn’t sure what to think of the smaller city located on the outskirts of Madrid, however upon arrival I could see that it was filled with plenty of history and culture. This was especially apparent after taking a tour of the city with the rest of the students in the program and learning all about the historical monuments in the area. I lived alone in a single dorm, but I had the opportunity to meet many other... Read More
Pitt Global Experiences Students' Blog
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My day typically starts around 7:30 when I first wake up. Most of the time, I have to be at work at 9:30, so I take a regional train that leaves at 8:59. After getting ready and eating breakfast, I leave around 8:30 to make it in time for my train. When taking the regional train, my commute to work is quick, only 15 minutes. If I take the S-Bahn, it takes about double that. I then get off at my stop, walk through the University of Potsdam Griebnitzsee Campus, and arrive at my host company. My typical work day can end as early as 3 or as late as 6:30. It all really depends on the amount of... Read More
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Despite having visited the country prior to my study abroad experience, there were still many things that surprised me about my global adventure. The weeks leading up to my departure, I was very anxious as I would be traveling alone for the first time without any friends or people that I knew of. I did not meet many people during any of the orientation days, which in hindsight would have definitely eased my nerves a little. However, a few of the girls from my program made a group chat through GroupMe. This was smart because it allowed us to communicate before the trip and get out... Read More
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Since my first year here at Pitt, I knew that I wanted to study abroad, preferably in Germany. I wanted to do this because I had considered living and working in Germany after graduating from college and perhaps even going to graduate school here. Because of these professional and personal goals, I continued studying German at Pitt and even researched companies in Germany that I could possibly work at in the future. When I arrived at Pitt my freshmen year, my advisor told me about the International Internship Program and one of the locations was Berlin. It was a program where I got to live... Read More
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As a rising senior in the Pitt Nursing program planning on a minor in Spanish language, my academic and career goals (I thought) were pretty set in stone. However, after my experience abroad, these goals have changed ever so slightly. Upon nearing the end of my study abroad experience, I got pretty sick and decided to use my resources and visit the local hospital to see if they could give me anything to relieve my symptoms. I get sinus infections pretty often so this was nothing out of the ordinary, however, explaining my past history with this issue and the symptoms I was currently... Read More
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Every morning was new and exciting during my time in Sydney. Especially during
the weekend, I never knew what I would do and where I was going next!
However there were a few routine places I would go to, for food and classes.
First every morning I would wake up, get ready for classes, and talk to my family.
In Australia the time zone is very different from back home - Sydney is 14 hours
ahead of where my family lives in New England! I would often be having
breakfast while they were having dinner; or be going to class when they were
sound... Read More -
The locals played a large part in my positive trip experience in Ireland. The culture of the Irish people is notably friendly. Almost all of the people I met in any area were extremely kind and welcoming towards us. Many of them would first point out to us that they could tell we were Americans before we even spoke to them. They would further go on to explain that it was a combination of the way we dressed and the way that we looked just before ordering food or asking a question. None hesitated to approach in any setting to ask how we were getting along in Dublin or if we needed any... Read More
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Ciao! I am officially one week into my study abroad experience through the “Pitt in Florence” program, a program that spans six weeks, and two 3-credit courses. I decided to do this program without knowing anyone else from Pitt in the program, but I have already met so many students from my university and so many others. I chose to live in a shared apartment over the option of home stay, so the program situated me into an apartment with roommates from all over the US. In the apartment there are four Pitt students, three UC Boulder students, and one student from Purdue… a total of eight... Read More
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First of all, make sure to pack lightly! You will definitely want to bring home
souvenirs. On your first day in your study abroad program, you will definitely feel
jetlagged and tired - try not to relax or sleep until the local evening time. You want
to remain as active as possible, to decrease the effects of jet lag and to make the
most of your trip meeting new people, exploring a new city or country, and trying
new cuisines and learning about a new culture. Even if you are on a low budget,
try to go on as many excursions as possible! Some study... Read More -
Before studying abroad in Sydney, I thought of Australian food as “meat
pies” and “vegemite.” And while I did get to try these famous classic
“Aussie” foods, I learned that Australian cuisine encompasses much more,
and similar to the United States, Australia is a country with cuisine coming
from all around the world! My two favorite places to eat routinely was North
Indian Cuisine on George Street (which gave me the largest vegetable
samosas I have ever eaten!) and Miso Japanese in the World Square (I just
couldn’t help coming back for their... Read More