See the most recent student blogs here!
Check out what our students are up to internationally and domestically on their global experience programs.
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Mountains, Medicine & Meaning: My Lessons from the Himalayas
Ridhima Ghoshal, Himalayan Health Summer 2025 Hello everyone! My name is Ridhima, and I am a rising sophomore! I am currently majoring in Neuroscience on the pre-med track, along with minors in Business and Chemistry with a Conceptual Foundations of Medicine certificate. A fun fact about me is that my favorite color is orange! As…
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Daily Life in Japan
An Le, CIEE: Kyoto, Japan Summer 2025 The one truly surprising thing about daily life in Kyoto was how early the sun rises compared to Pennsylvania. The light would already be hitting the corners of my eyes by about 4:40 a.m, and the city would be awake with students walking to school by 6:00 a.m.…
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Advice for Future CIEE Participants
An Le, CIEE: Kyoto, Japan Summer 2025 The scariest part of participating in my study abroad program was not knowing what to expect. Unfortunately, Pitt in Japan was cancelled this year due to low enrollment and I had to find a new program instead. CIEE is a Pitt Recognized Program, but there was still relatively…
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Exploring Kyoto and Tokyo
An Le, CIEE: Kyoto, Japan Summer 2025 Kyoto feels incredibly easy to simply exist in. Everything interesting to see is within a walkable distance, and the public transportation system makes up for the parts that aren’t. Upon completion of my study abroad program, I went to Tokyo for a week to compare the two cities.…
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Connecting with Malaga and Spanish Culture
Lillie Heise, Global Health in Spain Summer 2025 What stood out most about my program in Málaga was how deeply I was able to connect with the city. I did not feel like a tourist, but more of a learner and participant of the culture. Málaga is a coastal city with an amazing blend…
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Viewing Health with a Global Lens
Lillie Heise, Global Health in Spain Summer 2025 Studying abroad in the Global health in Spain program had a major impact on my goals and future. It allowed me to step outside of the U.S. healthcare system and see health through a more global lens. In Spain and Morocco, it showed me how the cultures,…
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Enjoying the Moment in Spain and Morocco
Lillie Heise, Global Health in Spain Summer 2025 Food played a major role in shaping my experience during the Global Health in Spain program. In Málaga and Barcelona I found food to be more than just nourishment, but a window into the culture and lifestyle of Spain. I loved trying new dishes like tapas, paella,…
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Connecting with German Students
Leo Dean, Plus3 Germany Summer 2025 Germans tend to carry a specific stereotype, at least from an American perspective: serious, direct, detail-oriented, and focused on efficiency. Before we departed, we had the chance to ask a panel of previous participants about their experiences with the locals. I raised my hand. “Are Germans as literal and…
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Make Your Own Memories
Alyson Ferrari, Engineering Perspectives of the Renaissance and Sustainability: Florence Summer 2025 Everyone has their own reason for choosing to study abroad. My reason was to be immersed in the culture, which meant I wanted to go to areas that weren’t as well traveled. I challenged myself to speak to locals in their native tongue,…
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A Little Bit Goes a Long Way
Alyson Ferrari, Engineering Perspectives of the Renaissance and Sustainability: Florence Summer 2025 As an engineering student who is pursuing an Italian minor, my motivation for this trip spanned beyond simply visiting Italy. I wanted to truly live there and learn how to interact with locals, learn Italian phrases that were most useful to everyday life…