Hi there! My name is Catherine Sandford, and I am a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am in the business school where I major in Marketing, have minors in Studio Arts and Economics, and a certificate in Digital Media. I’m passionate about art and operate my two small businesses: one for my photography, one for my art.

I am so excited to be spending my last semester of college abroad in London. When I was younger, my family briefly lived in England. I hadn’t been back since we moved to Pittsburgh, so I was eager to get back and experience London with a new understanding and appreciation for the city.

During my semester, I want to grow as an independent person, experience as much as the city as possible, and learn from my internship. 

Here in London, I am taking classes at CAPA, which is located in Kensington—an absolutely gorgeous area. My classes include an internship class, arts administration class, advertising in Britain class, and an urban studies class. The classes are long – 3 hours and 15 minutes – but luckily these classes often incorporate museums and outings in the city. This is very different from what I am used to at Pitt where I have classes twice a week pretty exclusively in classrooms. 

I am also currently living in White Chapel. The area is neat—it’s very urban with two train stations, coffee shops, pubs, and restaurants all around. My flat is also a ten-minute walk to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, which makes for a great walki route. 

Our flat itself is very nice and modern. There are seven of us living there: two rooms of two roommates and one room of three roommates (which I am in). While there is definitely a lot less personal space and storage than I have grown accustomed to, I am having a lot of fun living here and hanging out with my roommates. 

Overall, I have absolutely loved my time in London so far. I was worried about being so far away from home, and although I miss my family, friends, and dogs dearly, I am so happy to be in London. Time is flying already, so I am excited to make the most of the rest of my time here.