As a finance and business analytics major, I have the opportunity to intern at a psychology company called Logic Lounge. There I use Power BI and Excel to analyze patient reports and data to create charts on utiliziation among other things. This role has helped open my eyes to see that almost every company you can think of uses analytics in some capacity. It has also been a good way for me to learn the ins and outs of a clinic and have conversations with psychologists about their practice. Alongside my internship, I am also taking a few courses to fulfill my Gen-Ed requirements such as Exploring Sydney and Environment and Society. These classes are set up a lot differently than traditional Pitt Business courses, and they involve a lot of presentations and research papers. However, I think that this change in dynamic has helped me become more adaptable and will help me improve my skills in these areas of weakness. Another big change is the class sizes. In Australia, because the classes are only for students in the CEA CAPA program, they tend to only have around 20 students in each class. Which is a big change compared to the 200-person lecture halls back on Pitt’s campus.

I have found that the environments in Australia tend to be a little more laid-back than those I have experienced in America. They value the fact that you have other things going on in your life and will prioritize working around you and your conflicts. There is also less of a hierarchy of power; my supervisor and I are very close, and we can joke around without me feeling inferior to him. Also in the classroom professors are a lot more approachable and seem to really enjoy engaging with students and listening to their opinions.

There are a lot of skills that you need not only to study abroad but also to enter a work environment abroad. Some that I think are important are open-mindedness, problem-solving, and resilience. Even though Australia is an English-speaking country, you still experience culture shock so I believe it is critical to remain resilient through moments where you feel homesick and to remind yourself of how proud you should be of the step you took to go abroad. It is also important to problem-solve, whether that is in your internship, figuring out how to complete a task, or tackling public transportation. Everything is new, and it does not always come easy, so problem-solving is one of the most important skills to be successful abroad.