Hello! My name is Heather. I am a third-year at Pitt, pursuing a dual degree in Accounting and Neuroscience. I am currently in Belfast, Northern Ireland and studying at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) for the Fall 2026 semester.
I was initially drawn to QUB because of its top-notch curriculum, especially in business, so I was extremely excited to take business courses in an entirely new environment and immerse myself in learning about business organizations from an international perspective.
I was also very drawn to the location, as I had never traveled to Europe before, and Belfast seemed like the perfect first city to go to. It still gives me easy access to other European countries/cities but has much less of the hustle and bustle of a big city like London. As someone who had originally wanted less busy city vibes for college (ironic going to Pitt, right?), I was instantly drawn to Belfast and Northern Ireland in general. While you could complain about the rainy days, there is so much to see and do around the beautiful city. A little rain never stopped anyone before!
Over the past few days, I have been trying to go all over the city by foot or by bus. Belfast in general is quite walkable, with lots of shopping and restaurants all around. It is honestly so easy to just start walking and end up almost 40 minutes away from campus and at the heart of Belfast City Center (personal experience…). I am also definitely still getting used to seeing cars drive on opposite sides of the roads, and just crossing the street suddenly became a whole new experience too!
During my time here at Queen’s, I really want to challenge myself on a personal level by reaching out first to new faces. I am always letting others reach out first, so this time I want to open my door when I hear new voices in the hallway rather than hiding away. From an academic perspective, I really want to soak in the cultural and environmental differences between QUB and Pitt. There will be so many new opinions and perspectives shared in class, and I also really want to share the views shaped by my time at Pitt and see how they compare to those from Queen’s students or other international students. A final goal is to join clubs related to professional development here at QUB. Even if it is only for a semester, I think that joining clubs for professional development in a completely new place can really help to bring new light to important tasks like networking, resume-building, and interview proficiency.
Overall, I hope to gain more confidence in putting myself out there in new places and meeting new people. I want to get comfortable doing uncomfortable things. That will be the motto for my time abroad. Stick around to see if it comes true!
