Hi again! I’m currently on week #3 of my classes, and everything is running smoothly. Schoolwork is picking up, but the concepts we are learning in class are starting to get very interesting. I have classes two days a week – two on each day – which gives me plenty of time for homework and exploring different areas of London. I am not involved in an internship, but through my International Marketing class I am learning a lot about the different global markets and the international workforce, which is valuable information for my future professional career. 

The four classes I am enrolled in are International Marketing, Post-War British Pop Culture (my favorite), Ethics in the Media, and Exploring the Global City of London. Throughout the semester, each of these classes have at least one out-of-class field study day, where we have our class in an alternative location. This gives us the opportunity to apply what we learned in the classroom and to experience the topics in a real-world setting. This is one thing that I am extremely excited for, as it is a great chance for me to explore and learn about different areas of London first-hand. 

Based on this type of curriculum, I would say that some important skills for students here to have would be adaptation and resilience. I say this because we are in a new environment where things can unexpectedly happen. I say this also because some of the classes are outside. Personally, this is not something that I am used to because my lectures at Pitt don’t operate this way. All in all, I think the best skills and strengths to have are adaptation and resilience. There is a lot to be learned and taken away from this type of curriculum, and it is important to take advantage of that!

A huge part of British academic culture – at least in my classes – is writing papers. This is a new aspect of school for me because as a business major, I usually don’t have to write papers. I am used to taking quizzes and exams, but my classes here in London do not require any of those (unless it is an exam related to essay writing). This is another reason why I think that adaptation and resilience are important skills to have in this abroad environment. I don’t want to lose hope or give up on my classes just because I’m not used to writing papers. Instead, I have been trying my best, asking my peers for feedback on my writing, and leaning into these new experiences and lessons full-on.