Hello! My name is Katherine Wistner and I am currently studying abroad for the spring semester in London, England with Pitt’s Global Business Institute. I am a junior majoring in Marketing and Business Information Systems with a certificate in Digital Media. After the end of my freshman year, I traveled to Costa Rica for two weeks with Pitt’s Plus3 program, where I studied the supply chain of coffee and bananas. This experience really made me fall in love with international learning and encouraged me to study abroad again in the future. For this semester, I chose the Global Business Institute because it combined everything I was looking for in a study abroad program. I am taking classes that directly relate to my career interests, such as International Marketing and Advertising in Britain, and have my in-class learning supplemented by numerous cultural activities.

Generally, my goals for this program are to make the most out of my three months here. While three months may sound like a long time and can certainly feel like it, I know this experience will go by so fast and I want to appreciate every moment. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I do not want to take that for granted. Academically, I strive to gain a deep understanding for international business and am confident that my classes will support this goal. Personally, I hope to see and do as much of what London offers as possible! My program provides many great activities for us to engage with, but I also plan to venture out on my own a little. For example, we are taking a day trip to Stonehenge and Bath this weekend which I am very excited for!

Pitt is partnered with the study abroad company CEA CAPA, so I take my classes through their program in South Kensington. While I’ve only had one class here so far, the setup does not seem too dissimilar to that of my classes at Pitt. A few differences I have recognized are the smaller class sizes and longer class times. I am taking four classes that are all once a week for three hours. While this is not a schedule I am used to, I appreciate the time it allows me to explore the city. The location of CEA CAPA’s building is in a very nice area with lots to do, so I am happy to be spending time around there. I am currently living in North Acton, which is in the western suburbs of the city. There is not too much to explore around here, so I have mostly been using the local tube station to get to other parts of the city. My housing arrangement is dorm-style living with one roommate. It is definitely an adjustment to what I expected, but I’m living in London so I am just happy to be here! I cannot wait to see what the rest of the semester brings me and to share it with this blog!