Cheers from London once again! Despite the days speeding by, I can confidently say that I have grown both personally and educationally throughout my time here already. I dread the day my time in London comes to a close, but I am looking forward to using my skills I have gained in a professional setting. Before I began studying abroad in London this semester, I had two overarching goals which were to gain knowledge about global marketing and fully experience life in London on a more personal level. While attempting to reach both of these goals I have developed a plethora of soft and hard skills.
A few soft skills that I have developed over the course of this program are adaptability and cross-cultural communication. The learning style and course structure in London varies from how things are done at Pitt, so very early on I had the responsibility of learning how to change familiar practices. Additionally, things such as currency, language, and unspoken social norms are different in many ways; therefore, being able to flow with changing circumstances was an extremely important skill to develop. When I was traveling around Ireland, I met a girl from Italy and there were a few times during our conversation when we hit language barriers; however, I am grateful for situations like those because I was able to learn new ways of communicating and it allowed me to open my view to a wider perspective.
These experiences have also shaped me in terms of hard skills. As I have mentioned previously, the curriculum is different from what I have become accustomed to. Here they are very lecture heavy and there is a strong emphasis on presentations and research papers. One of my professors in London has published six textbooks and hundreds of academic articles, so this has played a role in improving my research, writing, and editing skills. On top of this, I have already had five presentations over my four classes this far in the semester and I can feel a heightened sense of comfortability with public speaking.
Having the opportunity to explore other cultures within and outside of London has been very beneficial. Through interactions with locals and guides, I have learned things that I never would have if I didn’t meet those specific people. I have learned that certain places are more receptive to American visitors, so I have been sure to take advantage of that and it has led to many great interactions! Also, meeting other students who are also studying abroad in London has opened the door to many new friends and experiences.
I am so glad to be able to share my experiences and how I have grown throughout my adventure abroad! Talk to you again soon!
