“Where, even, is Belfast?”
That phrase was the most common I heard when I announced where I was studying abroad. Everyone expected me to study in a major city such as London or Paris, so they were confused as to why I chose Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, after nearly four months here, I can confidently say I would not change anything.
My entire life, my dream has been to go abroad. I looked up to my two older sisters, who also went to Pitt, went abroad, and heard their amazing stories. So coming into college, my freshman year, I knew I wanted to go abroad as soon as I possibly could. In the spring semester of my freshman year, I started to discuss it with my academic advisor. He informed me it was 100% possible for me to go abroad in the spring of my sophomore year. Immediately after that conversation, I began to do preliminary research on the Pitt Global Experiences Website to get a broad idea of where they offer programs.
My real research started in August 2025, when they released the programs for the spring of 2026. I spent a good amount of time really examining every program there was. Through my research, I discovered there were three different types of programs I could partake in. The first is the Pitt programs, where I would go with a cohort of Pitt students and faculty and essentially take Pitt classes in a different country. The next was a third-party program, where the program “provider” has a set list of classes you can take in a different country. Last but not least was direct enrollment, where you become enrolled in an actual university abroad.
As I considered these options, I realized what mattered most to me: stepping outside my comfort zone. While Pitt programs were appealing, I didn’t want to stay within the “Pitt bubble.” I wanted to meet local students and connect with people from around the world. Third-party programs offered some of that diversity, but I ultimately wanted the experience of being part of a real university system in another country. I already knew what it was like to take classes in the U.S., going abroad was the one chance to learn from a more global perspective.
All in all, the only program to check all the boxes was Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Not only did it fulfill all my needs, but it even went beyond. As a student in the Honors College, I had the opportunity to apply for the “Community Engaged Research”. The program description immediately caught my attention. As someone who was already involved in undergraduate research at Pitt, I knew I wanted to keep expanding my research knowledge. This opportunity would allow me to expand my research skills in an international setting, which made choosing Queen’s an easy decision.
Even though not everyone may know where Belfast is or question my choice to go to a smaller school, I am glad I paved my own path. Going abroad is what you make out of it, and I got everything out of this experience I could have ever wanted and more.
These last four months here have genuinely been some of the best times of my life. I completed a whole research project for Habitat for Humanity Ireland, researching Corporate Social Responsibility and helping to expand HFHI partnerships. My political science classes here have given me a deeper understanding of global politics, especially useful for my comparative politics concentration. The history class I take has taught me about the Troubles and their legacy, and I now appreciate the place I have called home for the last four months.
More than anything, the most important aspect has been the friends I have gained along the way. Not only did I get close with my fellow Pitt students, but I now have friends from all around the world, both fellow abroad students and actual Queens students. The connections I have made with everyone are so special to me and the best possible “thing” I could have gotten out of my abroad experience.
So, where even is Belfast? Well, it’s the place I’ve called home for the past four months and will forever hold the best memories for me!
Well, that’s all for now, cheers!
Abby Cook