Navigating life in a new city is challenging, let alone a new country. But having great friends to be there with me through all of this, and knowing the rest are only a phone call away, has made it all a lot easier (not to add my mom is visiting next week). As I don’t have a language barrier like some others might, I have still struggled with some other adaptions. One of the most noticeable differences is how work-life balance is approached in the UK. Realizing a lot of things through a fashion intern viewpoint has shown me that the fashion industry here is very fast-paced, and schedules can be hectic and unpredictable. It feels like there is less structure compared to what I am used to in the U.S. With classes and a 20 hour work week, I am basically working a 9-5 everyday, which at first was super intimidating and dreadful, but as the weeks have gone by, I have learned to love it, and really appreciate all the other moments I have here in London. I have been keeping an open mind and more willing to adjust my ideas or plans on short notice, which I now look at as opportunities to learn from my boss rather than view them as disruptions. My class schedule is much more predictable, as I have the same classes each week at the same time, and even sometimes field studies. I will say the way that my classes are structured are different than back at Pitt, with them being more discussion-based here, and more assignment-oriented at Pitt. To navigate this, I believe that just reaching out to your teachers, asking them for feedback, or any questions I may have, is the best way to approach any issue I have had regarding school work. Everyone here is so sweet and open to help, no matter how small the question. One thing that I was not prepared for when moving to London was figuring out the public transportation. This is something that no one can teach you, but you have to accidentally get on the wrong tube line a couple times or go to the wrong station to understand. It took all of us Americans only a couple tube rides to learn that we were the only people speaking loudly on the tube, and obviously we’re tourists of sorts. Another thing that most of us college students know is budgeting. London is a very expensive city, so after moving here I have learned how to budget a lot more than how I did while at Pitt. It can get frustrating when you want to go on so many weekend trips, but just remembering that you are in London which in itself is such a huge and amazing city, is enough. All of these experiences have helped me grow personally and professionally a lot, and I will continue to learn!

SchwegmanE01

SchwegmanE02