I feel comfortable saying that my time at Pitt has been one of the best in my life and no doubt the experience fulfilled, even surpassed, any expectations. I spent the Fall semester 2016 in the Study Abroad program from the University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona (Spain). I have to admit the cultural shock is something real and it takes some time to adjust to a new country with such a different lifestyle. However, the support and guidance you receive from the university is excellent and helps a lot to make you feel part of the Pitt community really quick. During the Orientation Week there were a bunch of activities that helped us to get to know more about the campus area and at the same time to build stronger relationships among all the different exchange students who will in the end become your “Pitt family” and an essential part of your time abroad.
Life in Pittsburgh offers many alternatives so you'll never be bored during the semester, instead you you'll feel there wasn't enough time to explore all there is to see. Plus, with your Pitt ID you’ll have free access to most of the Pittsburgh attractions and public transport so your budget won’t suffer too much! You cannot talk about life at Pitt and not mention Oakland. Oakland is the neighborhood where the university campus is located and I’d say that except in break periods in which all the students leave to go home for a few days, there’s life in Oakland 24/7 (you cannot miss Hemingway’s and its happy hour!).
Academic coursework is a bit intense since there are several assignments during the semesters and midterms and quizzes. However, most professors will always give you a lot of positive feedback on your work and will appreciate your effort.
This experience is once in a lifetime and the best you can do is to make the most of it and Pitt will offer you all you need to make it happen. If I had to go back in time and decide again where I want to go for my semester abroad for sure I would choose Pitt one thousand times!
I feel comfortable saying that my time at Pitt has been one of the best in my life and no doubt the experience fulfilled, even surpassed, any expectations. I spent the Fall semester 2016 in the Study Abroad program from the University Pompeu Fabra of Barcelona (Spain). I have to admit the cultural shock is something real and it takes some time to adjust to a new country with such a different lifestyle. However, the support and guidance you receive from the university is excellent and helps a lot to make you feel part of the Pitt community really quick. During the Orientation Week there were a bunch of activities that helped us to get to know more about the campus area and at the same time to build stronger relationships among all the different exchange students who will in the end become your “Pitt family” and an essential part of your time abroad.
Life in Pittsburgh offers many alternatives so you'll never be bored during the semester, instead you you'll feel there wasn't enough time to explore all there is to see. Plus, with your Pitt ID you’ll have free access to most of the Pittsburgh attractions and public transport so your budget won’t suffer too much! You cannot talk about life at Pitt and not mention Oakland. Oakland is the neighborhood where the university campus is located and I’d say that except in break periods in which all the students leave to go home for a few days, there’s life in Oakland 24/7 (you cannot miss Hemingway’s and its happy hour!).
Academic coursework is a bit intense since there are several assignments during the semesters and midterms and quizzes. However, most professors will always give you a lot of positive feedback on your work and will appreciate your effort.
This experience is once in a lifetime and the best you can do is to make the most of it and Pitt will offer you all you need to make it happen. If I had to go back in time and decide again where I want to go for my semester abroad for sure I would choose Pitt one thousand times!
Judith Baeta