Maisie Oliver, Queen’s University Belfast, Fall 2025
Queen’s University Belfast operates on an asynchronous timeline for schoolwork. For each of my three modules, which were 20 credits within the UK system and 6 credits translated to the US, I had two major assignments to complete. These assignments were spaced out throughout the semester and covered an extensive number of topics. This was a stark difference from the University of Pittsburgh’s school system, which, in my case, being a computer science major and international relations minor, consisted of at least 3 major assignments ranging from 30% to 45% and a small set of lesser-stakes assignments ranging from 5% to 20%.
As a result, it was up to the students to properly manage their time in order to get the assignment done by the designated deadline. The modules followed a classic week-by-week schedule with new topics being introduced weekly. There was a head professor and two PhD student assistants per course (which may vary for different concentrations). Another similarity I noticed was the Friday ‘tutorials’ for my computer science courses that mirror my recitation class at Pitt. This was a time for students to meet one-on-one with the student assistants. However, I found that the culture of office hours at Queen’s was one that I hadn’t experienced. It appeared, even though office hours were available, the professors preferred you to use the tutorials as one, and hardly any students attended actual office hours. Regardless, the class material was available for reference on Canvas, which aided me in being able to complete my major assignments.
Overall, I found the assignments to be substantial with layers of material involved. Combining schoolwork with traveling was a slight struggle at times, especially due to the rigorous nature and level of my modules. To manage this, I would bring my laptop with me if I had work that I needed to get done. This entailed early mornings in cafes in various countries, which were heavily offset by touring the city later that day.
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