Today began the same way that a majority of our days have throughout this trip, with a roughly 20 minute walk to Birmingham City University. However, unlike the other days, this one felt a little different. The walk itself was about the same as usual, but I couldn’t help but feel a bit more reflective and somewhat sad knowing that this would be our last day at BCU. At this point, the routine that we had built over the past couple of days was coming to an end, and that made even the simple walk feel more significant.
Once we arrived, the three of us who are education majors split off from the rest of the group and attended a session focused on schools in the UK. During this session, we learned about the different types of state-funded schools as well as the various types of private schools. One thing that really stood out to me was just how structured the UK education system is compared to the US. Overall, I viewed this as a very positive thing. The level of organization and clarity in expectations seemed like it would be very beneficial not only for teachers but also for students. As someone studying education, I found myself thinking that I could definitely see the appeal of working within a system like that.
We also had the opportunity to speak with some of the education professors from BCU over Microsoft Teams. During this conversation, we asked them questions about how their program works, and they also asked us about our program back in the US. One of the most interesting things that I learned was that their teacher certification allows them to teach across all grade levels, which is very different from the US system. I was also really intrigued by the fact that foreign language learning is integrated into the primary school curriculum. Both of these differences gave me a lot to think about in terms of how education systems can vary and what might work best for students.
After this, we said goodbye to Chinenye and took group pictures with her. The goodbye felt more like a formal ending than just another moment in the day, which made it stand out more. Over the course of this trip, she had been both very professional and very friendly, and it was clear that she genuinely cared about making this a meaningful experience for us. Taking pictures felt like a way to capture the end of this part of the trip, and overall the moment felt a bit more significant than I expected it to.
We then had a break for lunch, and several of us went to a sit-down restaurant called Boston Tea Party. While there, I ordered a bacon cheeseburger along with a vanilla latte. The meal itself was really good, and it was nice to have a chance to sit down, relax, and talk with everyone in a more casual setting before the long bus ride ahead.
After lunch, we began the three-hour bus ride from Birmingham to London. For the most part, the bus ride was pretty quiet, with many people choosing to sleep. I ended up sleeping for a little bit myself, which helped pass the time. The quietness of the ride made it feel like a transition point in the trip, as we were quite literally leaving Birmingham behind and heading into the final portion of our experience.
When we arrived in London, my first impression was that even though the area we are staying in is a bit quieter than central London, it still felt noticeably busier than Birmingham. There was a different kind of energy to it, even in a calmer area. Once we got to the hotel, I immediately noticed how nice it was. The room feels very fancy and modern, even though it is slightly smaller than the one we had before. Still, it definitely feels like an upgrade in terms of overall atmosphere.
Later on, some of us walked with Dr. Marks to Paddington Station. While there, we took pictures with the Paddington Bear statues in a gift shop. Even though I have never actually watched any of the Paddington movies, it was still a pretty cool thing to see in person. The walk itself felt relaxed, and it was nice to spend some time just casually exploring the area.
We then headed to Smith’s Bar and Grill for our last dinner as a group. The overall atmosphere was fairly casual, which made it easy to just enjoy the moment and have conversations with everyone. For dinner, I had the beef rib along with tiramisu for dessert, and both were very good. One of the more interesting parts of the evening was getting the chance to talk with a former Pitt student who had immigrated to the UK. We talked about the trip in general, but she also shared information about a company that she owns which works with students with special needs. I found that especially interesting, and she even gave me her business card so that I could reach out if needed in the future.
Overall, the conversations during dinner were fairly relaxed, but there was also an underlying sense that this was one of our final moments together as a group in this kind of setting. While we still have one more day in London, it is going to be much less structured, so this dinner felt like somewhat of a closing moment for the more organized part of the trip.
Looking back on the day as a whole, it definitely felt like a transition point. We closed out our time at BCU, said our goodbyes, and began the final portion of our trip in London. It was a mix of reflection, appreciation, and looking ahead, which made it stand out from many of the other days.