Deciding to come to London to study abroad was not the easiest decision for me. All the location options that Pitt had offered sounded amazing. However, I knew that no matter where I went, I would make the most of my time and learn something new. I ultimately chose to come to London because I felt that it was the best homebase for me. One of the top things that I wanted to do abroad was travel and London was great for that. With the amount of airports and being such a global city, there was nowhere that I wouldn’t be able to go from London.
I also could seriously see myself living in London for some point in the future. As such a large city, there are so many company headquarters and offices in London. If I wanted to work abroad, London would be the perfect place for me to go. Studying abroad here right now almost feels like a trial run for my future career.
Coming to London, I not only wanted to experience new cultures and adventures, but also improve my knowledge in social sciences and writing. Many of the classes I am taking here are very different from the ones that I would be taking at home. For the first 2 and a half years at college, I have mainly taken business classes, and while they are interesting, I wanted to try my hand at creative writing and learn more about psychology. In London, I am able to do just that and learn from professors who are published authors or practicing doctors.
At this point in my study abroad experience, a little more than halfway through, I can confidently say that I chose the right location for me. I have had an incredible experience so far that I would not trade for the world. I have become more independent and am better at forcing myself into uncomfortable situations. There have been many times where these uncomfortable situations have led to me finding out more about myself and growing as a person. I am better at approaching people to ask for help or just strike up a conversation. I have made a lot of new friends, but have also learned the importance of reconnecting and staying in touch with friends back at home.
Academically, I have found myself writing more, like journaling, and looking at things through a different lens. For the first years of my college career, I have been trained to look at everything through a business-minded lens, but that is not the case here. It has been a lot of fun to look at things through a different lens and see how that has impacted my learning. In creative writing, I have to force myself to be more creative, and I have found that my mind now wanders and I imagine a lot more. With psychology, I think more about the reason behind people’s actions rather than taking them at face value. I have already learned and experienced so much from my study abroad experience and it is only halfway through. I can’t wait to see what kind of person I become at the end!
