Today was our first full day in Birmingham, and we honestly packed so much into one day. I’m still trying to adjust to the time difference and recover from traveling, but today was really exciting because it was our first actual academic day abroad. This morning we all met up early and walked to take our first double decker bus. Riding on a double decker bus in England honestly felt like one of those classic study abroad moments you always picture before coming here. We sat on the top level, which gave us such a cool view of Birmingham while driving through the city. Public transportation here is definitely more common than it is at home, and it already seems like such an easy way to get around.
After the bus ride, we walked part of the way to Birmingham City University, also known as BCU. Along the way, we passed the engineering building and the art building, and both looked really modern. One thing I keep noticing about Birmingham is how much old and new architecture are mixed together. Some buildings look really historical while others look super futuristic, and I honestly think that’s one of the things that makes the city feel so unique. Once we got to BCU, we were given a tour of the campus and got to see the library, study spaces, classrooms, and student areas. The library especially stood out to me because it had so many open study spots, bright colors, and places for students to work together. The campus overall felt very welcoming and student-centered, both academically and socially.
Later, we took another bus to BCU’s south campus and got another tour there as well. Throughout the day, I kept comparing BCU to Pitt because there are definitely similarities, but also some major differences. One thing that stood out to me the most was how much BCU promotes support services for students. There were resources everywhere for mental health support, academic help, financial assistance, and other student services. Although Pitt does offer the same resources, their public facing supports are definitely academic-focused. At BCU, it felt like they really focus on supporting students as whole people and making sure they feel supported in every aspect of life, not just in class. After the tours, we grabbed a quick lunch at BCU before heading to our first lecture of the trip. The lecture was also taught by Chinenye Anetekhai and focused on wound care and burn injuries. Since I’m a nursing student, this was honestly one of the most interesting parts of the day for me. Even though burns are something people hear about often, I never realized how serious and life-changing severe burns can actually be.
One thing we learned is that burns can happen anywhere, but most commonly occur in homes, meaning many burns are actually preventable. We also talked about how burns leave both physical and emotional trauma, which can seriously affect a patient’s mental health and quality of life. One quote from the lecture that really stuck with me was, “A burn injury is for life.” That honestly changed the way I think about burn patients because even after the burns heal physically, the effects can still impact someone forever. We also learned about the different types of burns, common causes of burns, and where burns most often happen. Something important we discussed was how vulnerable populations to burns include children, girls, elderly people, and people living in overcrowded areas or spending a lot of time in kitchens. Learning about these risk factors really showed how important prevention and patient education are in healthcare and nursing.
One of the biggest things we learned was proper first aid for burns. We were taught that the first thing you should do is cool the affected area with running cool water for 20 minutes within 1–3 hours after the injury occurs. We also learned about burn depths, how to estimate burn percentages using the Rule of Nines, and different treatments and dressings used for burn patients.
After visiting BCU and finishing our lecture, we also had some free time to explore more of Birmingham on our own. A group of us decided to go back to the Bullring Shopping Centre and walk around some more. It was nice being able to explore at our own pace and take in more of the city views. Everywhere you look in Birmingham, there’s a mix of modern buildings, busy streets, and historic architecture, which makes the city feel very different from home. Later that night, we all met back up for dinner at Asha’s, which serves Indian cuisine. The food was honestly so good and definitely one of my favorite meals so far on the trip. It was also really fun getting to try something different while spending time together as a group after such a busy day. Another cool thing we learned was that Ed Sheeran has eaten there before, too, which made the dinner even more memorable.
Overall, today was such a busy but really meaningful day. Between exploring BCU, attending our first nursing lecture abroad, and getting to experience more of Birmingham, I already feel like I’m learning so much both academically and personally from this trip.