This May, I studied abroad on Pitt’s Engineering Perspectives of the Renaissance and Sustainability: Florence program. Studying abroad was such a unique experience that was so different from anything I’ve ever done before. The studies on this program focused on the advancements in engineering that were made during the Renaissance time period and looked at how different sustainability concepts were present during that time. We also took an art history course that introduced us to the amazing art that was made during the Renaissance, as well as some of the incredible architecture. Because... Read More
Pitt Global Experiences Students' Blog
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While in Germany during my Plus3 study abroad program, I was nonstop eating food. One of the main things I heard you had to do when abroad is try new food, and so I constantly was trying new food during every meal.
Germany is famous for all their different kinds of meats, so it was a perfect environment for me. I first had to try the famous Schnitzel, which is fried pork. Every single restaurant we ate at had Schnitzel on the menu, so I had it multiple times. It is always served with french fries and German potato salad, and every time it was really good. Then,... Read More -
While we were in Birmingham for the studying part of study abroad, the last day of the program we went to London for a day and it was a fantastic time!
We took a train to get to London initially. It was really fun getting to travel by train since that is not the most common way of traveling in the US. When we got off the train, we were initially going to take the Tube (or subway), but it was very hectic. Instead, we all piled into taxis and made our way to the hotel.
Once we were all checked in, I did my Covid test so I could get back into the US. Once we were... Read More -
Amsterdam is known for its labyrinth of canals, eccentric homes, and, of course, its vibrant nightlife. But one of the city’s most prominent features that I got to experience while studying abroad is its array of museums. There’s more than 50 museums in Amsterdam which cater to numerous interests: diamonds, photography, cats, as well as art and history. I purchased a Netherlands museum card, which allowed me to visit nearly a dozen museums for about $60.
While I’m typically not a big art fan, I found many pieces to appreciate. One of the most famous paintings I saw... Read More -
One of the more disappointing discoveries I made during my study abroad experience is that Dutch cuisine is, for lack of a better word, underwhelming. It’s actually quite famous for being bland with lots of veggies and not much meat. Dutch people’s affinity for fish was influenced by its location on the North Sea, and the country’s colonization gave rise to lots of Indian and Indonesian restaurants.
Some traditional Dutch food I sampled included poffertjes from a food stand at the Albert Cuyp Market. Poffertjes are basically miniature pancakes with powdered sugar. I... Read More -
When I traveled to Birmingham in the United Kingdom, I expected the university and the culture of the city to be different from here in Pittsburgh. However, once my group arrived, two things were different to me right away. The first one was that even though the university was in a city, it was a more vibrant and colorful university compared to the color and vibrancy here in Oakland. The second one was how the interactivity between the younger and older generations in everyday life felt like it was more real compared to back home.
Let me start with the university. The... Read More -
Before this program, my career goal was to become a journalist, and that hasn’t changed. I’ve worked at multiple media outlets, including the Austin-American Statesman, The Pitt News and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, where I’ve reported minimally on environmental issues. During my reporting internship at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last summer I wrote an article that explored how climate change is impacting and will impact Pittsburgh’s infrastructure. I wrote about, and subsequently learned a lot about, the city’s failing stormwater management system and rising temperatures.
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While I was abroad in the United Kingdom at Birmingham City University in Birmingham, I believed that it had an immense effect on me when it came to some of my goals that I would like to achieve either while I am still studying at Pitt or later in life when I have a job.
The program itself was for students who plan on going into nursing or education in the future. At first, it did not seem like the most straightforward pairing of majors for a study abroad. However, that changed when we started our studies at BCU. One major goal of mine that was affected was to become a high... Read More -
One of the main reasons my trip was so memorable was because of the amazing people I met on the trip. For our program we were assigned 4 German buddies that helped us explore and be familiar with Munich and take us to the activities planned for us. Our 4 buddies were students in the school we were attending in the master’s program. From the first day when they picked us up at the airport, we quickly became friends with them. They were so much fun having around and took us to the best activities such as a day trip to Austria, eating döner for the first time (best meal of the whole trip!),... Read More
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When planning to travel abroad, the essentials always come to mind first. Whether it's your favorite pair of socks, a specific kind of toothpaste that you always have to use, or a hoodie that holds significant value to you, everything has its place within your suitcase. Things like your passport and ID will always travel with you, but I’ve found that it’s mental preparation that catches you off guard before something you forgot to pack. For example, while traveling to Belgium, I accounted for the six hours of sleep I would lose by staying busy all day and crashing hard onto the hotel bed... Read More