Hi, my name is Kali Burke, and I am a sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh. I am majoring in Marketing, as well as pursuing certificates in Public and Professional Writing and Corporate and Community Relations. In the future, my goal is to become a copywriter. Hopefully, I can land a position in the travel or entertainment industry.
The program I chose to participate in is Global Business Institute: Florence. This program allows me to take three classes while also doing an international internship. I chose to come to Florence because I have been here before, and I absolutely loved it. When I found out there was a GBI program in Florence, I did not even consider any other options. Having been here for about two weeks, I am very happy with my decision. Through this program, I hope to gain independence and confidence. Traveling abroad is a great way to develop these qualities, since the culture and customs are so different in Italy. Learning to adjust and adapt will be paramount. In addition, I would love to enhance my copywriting skills through my internship.
My new university is quite different from Pitt, in my opinion. For example, most of the lectures do not include PowerPoints to follow along with. The professors tend to say the information and ask questions. It is definitely a different way of learning. I am sure I will get used to it, but it is definitely not what I had expected. In addition, the classes are much smaller here than they are at Pitt. I would say the class sizes are comparable to the size of recitation classes at Pitt. I am sure it will be easier for the professor to get to know each student this way, since there are no very large lectures.
In comparison to other apartments in Florence, mine is located in more of a residential area. It is across the river, so there are not really any tourists over there. It is kind of far from class building and shopping areas, but it allows me to get a lot of exercising in during the day. I only have one other roommate because our other roommate had to move out due to housing conflicts. Unfortunately, that was pretty hard for us to adapt to because we all got along very well. Other than that, I am definitely getting used to the walk, and I am actually starting to enjoy it. I am very grateful for this opportunity, and I am trying to make the most out of everything, even if it just means enjoying my walk to class.
