While more than halfway through my study abroad experience at Queen’s University in Belfast, I have begun to reflect on the academic and social communities I have gained here. Academically, I have been able to connect with my professors in a meaningful way in the Psychology department as well as my Archaeology professor. For psychology,…
Tag: Belfast
Settling into Life in Northern Ireland and My First Week of Travel in Europe
Settling into Northern Ireland has been very enjoyable! Being here for a month now, I have gotten into a rhythm for my three modules (courses) and am developing a social life with the new friends I have made thus far. Exploring Belfast and the pub culture here has been enjoyable, as well as a good…
Hello from Belfast, Northern Ireland!
Hello! My name is Cole Perkins, and I am a second-year student studying Psychology with a minor in Anthropology here at Pitt from Naples, Florida. I am currently in Belfast, Northern Ireland, for the Spring 2026 term studying at Queen’s University Belfast. Despite a snowy beginning and a semester marked by significant changes, I have…
Slán, Ireland!
Hi everyone, it’s Rachael with my last check-in from Queen’s University Belfast, where I’ve been studying abroad this semester. I can’t believe the semester has already come to an end and that I fly back to Philly this week! It’s been a jam-packed semester, and I think it’ll take a while for me to fully…
University Systems: Reflections from Belfast
Hello again, it’s Rachael with another check-in from my semester abroad at Queen’s University Belfast. With November about halfway over, we’re really entering crunch time for assignments. This prompts me to reflect on some of the differences I’ve noticed between the school system here and the one back home. While I mostly take science classes…
An October in Europe
Hi everyone, I’m Rachael, and I’m checking in again from my study abroad experience at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB). I’m taking a minute to reflect on October and all I’ve experienced this month. School-wise, I definitely feel like I’ve found my rhythm. Getting used to a new place will always take a little while, but…
Beginning in Belfast
Hi everyone, I’m Rachael. At Pitt, I’m a senior majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in Spanish. This semester, I’m studying abroad at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland, where I’m completing several of my general education requirements. It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been here for two weeks, but it’s true. The…
Growing from Ireland
Before studying abroad in Ireland, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I had never traveled alone before and have always considered myself a homebody. I remember feeling incredibly homesick during my freshman year of college, even though I lived just 30 minutes away from campus. Despite this, I was determined to step out of…
Always Look up: A Farewell to Northern Ireland
As my two weeks in Northern Ireland come to a close,I have a chance to reflect on one of the first things our instructor told us: Always look up. At the time, she was talking about the intricate architecture of Northern Ireland that you can only experience if you look above your eye level, but…
The Right of Way
Before you go on a trip abroad everyone always tells you that you are going to see things that are different from your home country, that you might get homesick, and that you are going to face culture shock. As part of an assignment for my program I made 20 observations about things that are…