Hi everyone! I have been in London for a few weeks now and the time is flying by.
Now that I have been here for a little bit, I feel like I now know so much more information. My accommodation is placed in a quiet neighborhood in West London called Maida Vale, which is also known as Little Venice. Once we got here, we had the opportunity to go on a neighborhood walking tour who gave us an amazing view of the surrounding area. Maida Vale is a gorgeous and peaceful place that has a lot of locally owned business and a small canal that runs through it featuring river boats.
Living in London is definitely different than living in the US. For starters, the buildings are significantly older, often featuring no elevators, air conditioning, and dryers, all something that I had to adjust to. However, I honestly feel that it only took a few days to adjust to these things. An amazing thing about London is that they have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Fortunately, you get a transportation card that is included in the program, this allows you to go anywhere in Zone 1 and 2 for free!
The way that Pitt and CEA CAPA run their institutions is pretty similar. The classes are structured very similarly and because CEA CAPA uses Canvas for their courses, it was very easy to navigate the educational resources. The only difference I have experienced is the adjustment to the teaching style in London, I would say that the teachers here expect a more free style approach to class. I have found often times in the US you are expected to raise your hand and wait to be called on, but in the UK teachers view their classes as more of an open discussion.
I have also been working at my internship for a few weeks now. I am working for a curated luxury fashion website called Bessette. Their mission is to provide designer fashion to people at a more affordable price and make it easier to shop by curated the looks for you. I have had such a wonderful experience with my internship so far. There are three other interns in my office which made it easy to adjust to working abroad as I knew they were easing into it as well.
To be successful in this role I feel as though someone will need to be open to learning. I have observed that in the UK interns have a lot more privileges than in the US. Interns are more often than not getting to work with real clients and interacting with the same people that your bosses might be. It is apart of the UK working culture that everyone in an office is seen as equal even if it is your first week on the job, or are the owner of the company.
I’m sure as I continue to study and work in the UK I will grow even more than I already have!
