Hello everyone! My name is Ben Luongo and I’m a junior studying Finance and Business Information Systems, with a minor in Economics. This semester I decided to go abroad, and to what better place than London, the financial capital of the world. With the help of the Pitt Global Business Institute program, I was able to make this dream a reality. What excited me the most about this particular program was that I’d be able to study here for an entire semester, as well as work in a global internship. These particular aspects offered the chance to truly immerse myself in English culture.

Speaking of studying, I’ve been taking classes with CAPA, the global education network. The class structure is a bit different then what I’m used to at Pitt, so let me explain. Each of my classes meet once a week for three hours and fifteen minutes each week. At first this was a bit hard to manage, but overall, it makes sense. With a drastically different commute for each student (my own being 35 minutes on the tube) and internships located all across the zones of London, this gives us much more flexibility to schedule our day.

Something else I’ve noticed that’s different from Pitt is that many of my classes schedule specific weeks to be outside the classroom. For example, in my 20^th Century British History class we’ve gone on a walking tour around London to look at various war memorials. In addition, this coming week we’re scheduled to meet at the Imperial War Museum. All in all, it’s a nice change of pace. I’m excited to see what these classes can offer me for the rest of the semester.

One thing I didn’t understand before coming to London was how different each neighborhood felt. My housing is in Bloomsbury, which I’ve come to love this past month. It feels as if everything is only a short tube or bus ride away, and I couldn’t be happier. My actual flat is located right next to University College London, which gives the area a college student atmosphere. Besides that, I’ve put a map of Central London below to illustrate this neighborhood concept a bit better:

Overall, I’m incredibly excited to continue in my study abroad journey thus far. I’ve found new places to see, new things to eat, and new people to meet; all of which is exactly what I was hoping for in this study abroad experience. Till next time, cheers.