Welcome back! I’m going to tell you a little bit more about my classes at CAPA and my internship with Winnovart. 

At my internship, I’m working in a consulting role, in funding advisory for startups based in Europe. I’m interested in consulting, so this is a great opportunity for me to understand what consulting actually is, especially because I learn best with hands-on experience. One key skill needed to be successful for my internship is communication. Eventually, I will be conducting meetings with various startups, so it’s important to know how to communicate appropriately and effectively. I also need time management skills. My commute takes about thirty minutes by tube, but I also need to account for rush hour and potential railroad strikes, so I aim to leave forty-five minutes before work starts. This way, I am as productive as possible when working.

Along with my internship, I’m also taking four classes. I’m taking International Econ, which I’m a little worried about since I haven’t taken an econ class since freshman year. I’m also taking International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. I’m looking forward to this class because I loved Organizational Behavior at Pitt! I’m also taking Modern Art in London, which gives students in the class the ability to visit museums in London and learn more about the city’s history. Finally, I’m taking a Global Internship class which is for students doing an internship as well. This class will help me develop my professional skills. One key skill needed to be successful in my classes is time management. I have to commute about thirty minutes to class, which is different from Pitt, where I would only walk ten or fifteen minutes to class. Another skill I will need is organization. I need to keep track of assignment due dates, especially so I can plan when to do those assignments on top of interning. I keep track of my assignments with a planner by writing down what I need to complete for each class.

While working in the professional environment in London, I have noticed that deadlines aren’t as strict. My managers want projects completed “within a couple of days” but there is never a hard deadline. I haven’t had much experience working in a professional environment, but it seems more relaxed in London, than what I have heard/experienced in the US.

While learning in the academic environment in London, a few of my professors are strict about using no technology while lecturing. I was initially annoyed upon hearing this rule, but I quickly learned that I am more attentive to the lecture in class. I also have to write notes on paper, but that is beneficial to me learning the class content. This is different from Pitt, where more professors are not strict about the use of technology/note taking. I often do work in the British Library, which is similar to what I would do in the US for classes or doing other important work.

The professional and academic environment in London is different in the US in some ways, but it’s also a great way for me to become well-rounded by understanding different environments.