It is hard to believe that I only have two weeks left in London. This semester, I had so many different experiences. From museums to parks to restaraunts and plays, I truly enjoyed the culture London had to offer. The city itself is huge, and there are still many places I want to visit before I go home. Some of my favorites included the Tate Modern, Natural History Museum, and Richmond Park. I traveled to 8 different countries this semester, which taught me valuable planning and time-management skills.
This semester, I grew more confident in myself and independence. I got to meet and make friends with many awesome people from my university. I became a regular at a local boba shop and a pub near my housing. I have great memories of playing games with my friends while we took study breaks. Outside of that, I enjoyed a lot of time by myself. I often went to parks during the week by myself and went on long runs in different neighborhoods.
I really learned to trust myself through studying at Richmond American University. With smaller class sizes and assignments that are more heavily weighted than at Pitt, I had to be very focused on the assignments I had. I often got to be very creative in my essays, as I could pick a unique topic related to the course. This was a really unique way of learning. I had to be confident in my choice of thesis and do a lot of research to be able to prove my papers. I reached out to professors more than I have in any other semester. I really enjoyed this, because it helped me feel better about my work but also get to know my professors as people better. Specifically, I really enjoyed talking to my project management professor as I would like to pursue a similar career when I graduate. This has encouraged me to get to know my instructors at home better.
As the first in my family to go abroad and to college, I am truly grateful for this opportunity. I never thought I would be able to travel to the many places I saw this semester. Going abroad for the first time for four months was ambitious and frightening. There were times where I felt very homesick, had to carefully budget my money, and missed some of my favorite things from the US. However, I would do this trip over again 1000 times. I learned so much about myself and how to thrive in a new environment. I really learned to be in the moment and appreciate what is around me. The world is so beautiful and I feel inspired to continue to push myself out of my comfort zone.
