Hola! My name is Riley Scott, and I am a junior at Pitt. I study finance and actuarial mathematics and plan to go into the banking industry. I am doing an exchange study abroad program in Barcelona, Spain. The university I am attending is called Universitat Pompeu Fabra. I choose to study in Barcelona due to the vibrant study abroad culture, the local culture, and the beautiful architecture and environment. Some of my goals for this program include becoming fluent in Spanish, meeting new people, and immersing myself into a new culture. 

I had never been to Europe before I started studying here. I have noticed there are differences between living and studying in Barcelona and the United States. The public transit here is much more well kept than in Pittsburgh. The buses are easy to track and clean. The best of the public transit is the metro. It makes it very easy to get to everywhere I want to explore, and they are always timely and peaceful. I wish the transit was as simple in Pittsburgh. A difference in the academic sphere is the classes are much longer here. This is a change I do not enjoy as much, but the semester is a lot shorter. Another difference is that there is not much homework here and your grade is heavily reliant on tests and papers. 

The neighborhood I live in here is not a touristy area. The city itself is very walkable with many public areas. I enjoy being able to walk to the beach whenever I want and go to a bakery after. The pastries are amazing in this city. I live in a single studio apartment which is very nice, but I wish I found a place with roommates. It took me a few days to adapt to living in a new city, but once I did I started exploring everywhere I could. Barcelona is a huge city with multiple areas with different cultural importance. It was easy to adapt here because while I am trying to learn Spanish, a majority of people speak English.

I highly recommend studying in Barcelona to anyone who is considering it. It is a culture filled city. The people here are very kind and open to travelers. It has beautiful sights and attractions for all types of interests. Learning here is an experience I don’t think I will ever forget. Adios!