Now I am over a month into living in London and I can finally say I have completely adjusted to living here. One of the small things I have noticed is that I am familiar with the layout of my local grocery store! It seems like such a small thing, but I remember it was very overwhelming at the beginning when I wasn’t sure of all the new brands and what kind of groceries to get. I am also now more comfortable taking the tube or the bus by myself. I love how easy it is to navigate the tube system and how I can get to anywhere in London in under an hour. However, living in a big city always comes with its challenges. One thing that has taken some getting used to is when there are train delays or issues. It is especially stressful in the morning when I am trying to get to class and a train is extremely crowded or is delayed. I am so used to walking to all my classes at Pitt that it is hard to factor in close to an hour of transportation time to class.
The classes themselves are much more different than the ones at Pitt Business. The small number of people in each class makes it a more engaging experience, although it is hard to stay focused for three hours. There are a lot less assignments in the classes than I am used to, which means I have to study more on my own. The midterms and exams are all mostly writing papers, which is something I am still struggling with. I have found that I need to start a paper at least a week in advance, rather than cram it all in one or two days before. The professors are helpful in providing feedback on drafts, which motivates me.
The English culture, in my experience, is pretty similar to the culture back home. There is a bigger emphasis here on going out after classes to restaurants or the pub; it seems like there is always something to do in the city. That has taken some time for me to adjust to since I don’t want to miss out on any experiences during my time here, but also don’t want to go out all the time. It is great for the weekends though, since there is so much to explore, I’ll never be bored. I have been able to find a balance, and luckily all of my flatmates and friends share a similar mindset. Things are also much more expensive in London than back home, so I find myself being more careful about my purchases, which is always a good idea. Overall, I’m looking forward to spring break to learning and growing more over the second half of the semester!
