I thought I was definitely prepared. Same language, and similar enough culture, how different could it be? The first thing that caught me off guard was the accents and unique vocabulary. Technically everyone was speaking English, but they had their own vocabulary and rhythm entirely. Words like “wee” and “youse”, were woven into every sentence,…
Tag: Queen’s University Belfast
The Moment It Hit Me: Arriving in Belfast
Boarding the flight from London to Belfast, Northern Ireland, marked my first “aha” moment. Up until that point, everything had felt relatively familiar. Traveling from the United States to London, I experienced a sense of comfort and accessibility similar to what I was used to back home, along with the usual hustle and bustle of…
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…