I have been looking forward to this day for the entire trip, finally, a full day in London! Ever since arriving in England, I had been counting down the days until we could explore the city, and today completely lived up to my expectations. It was busy, exciting, educational, and honestly one of my favorite…
Tag: Ruby Krotine
Day 11: Goodbye BCU :(
Today was our last day in Birmingham and our final day of lectures at BCU. It felt very bittersweet. I am so grateful for this experience and everything I have learned from our lecturers and from Chinenye. Looking back on the week, the biggest takeaway from all of our lectures has been the importance of…
Day 10: To be or not to be…
Today was an early morning, and we met downstairs at 7:50 to walk to the train station. Surprisingly, it wasn’t too hard to wake up because I was so excited, we were finally heading to Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of Shakespeare. I had been looking forward to this trip all week. Taking the train there was…
Day 9: Presentation Day!
Today was finally presentation day! I woke up feeling pretty nervous knowing that we would be presenting at the conference later, but luckily our morning was filled with activities that helped distract us from the anxiety. We started the day with Anatomage simulations, which ended up being a really interesting and engaging way to begin…
Day 8: Not-So-Slow Sunday
Today was anything but a slow Sunday. We boarded the bus at 9:00 a.m. and set off on an hour-and-a-half ride from Birmingham to Blenheim Palace. I had heard the name before, but I didn’t realize just how grand and historic it would be. Blenheim Palace is the residence of the Churchill family, and from…
Day 7: The Black Country
Today was a slower morning, which felt amazing after a busy week. We finally got to sleep in until 8:00, and it honestly made such a difference. After grabbing a quick breakfast, we boarded a bus for a forty-minute ride to the Black Country Living Museum. I had heard a little about it before, but…
Day 6: Coffee,Culture, and Care
Today started with a bit of an adventure before our academic day even began. Cameron, Meredith, and I woke up early determined to get coffee before heading to class. Our first stop was a café called Crumb and Coffee, but when we arrived, it was closed. We decided to try Starbucks next, only to find…
Day 5: Skills, Sushi, and Spooks
Day 6 in Birmingham was one of the most exciting and hands-on days we’ve had so far. We spent the entire day back at Birmingham City University, working in the simulation labs and finally getting the chance to practice real nursing skills. After spending all year at Pitt learning the core sciences, it was really…
Day 4: Is it Hailing?
Day 4 in Birmingham was another packed and eye-opening day full of learning, new experiences, and a little bit of unexpected weather! We started the morning at Joseph Chamberlain College (JCC), a sixth-form college that serves students ages 16–19 who are preparing for university, as well as adult learners who are building new lives in…
Day 3: Shifting Perspectives
Happy day 3 in Birmingham! Today was packed with learning, and by the end of the day it truly felt like my brain had tripled in size. We headed to the South Campus of Birmingham City University bright and early at 9 a.m. for our first lecture. The morning began with a session on public…
Day 2: Ed Sheeran, Pigeons, and Double-Decker Buses
Happy day 2 in Birmingham! Today we took our first real look at Birmingham City University (BCU), where we’ll be spending a lot of our time during this trip. We met Chinenye Anetekhai, who has helped plan our visit and will also be teaching us while we’re here. It was exciting to finally see the…
Day 1: Cheerio Pittsburgh, Hiya Birmingham!
Our journey begins! We landed at London Heathrow Airport this morning at 10:30 a.m. after an exhausting seven-hour flight. Even though we were tired, the excitement of finally being in England quickly took over. From the airport, we took a scenic bus ride into Birmingham, watching the countryside slowly shift into the city skyline. Once…
Stepping Outside the Classroom (and the Country)
Hi! My name is Ruby Krotine, and I am a freshman at the University of Pittsburgh studying Nursing. I am from Sewickley, Pennsylvania, about 30 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. I have an older sister who is a sophomore at Cornell University and a younger brother and sister who are still in high school. In my…