Oddly enough, when you prepare to study abroad in Rome, the actual classes you take sometimes end up on the back-burner in your mind. Everyone focuses on where they’re going to live, where they’re going to travel, what kinds of people will they meet -- yet classes are the reason you’re here.
The view of the CEA Rome Center. It’s the gray building, and it’s only a four-minute walk from my apartment!
I am definitely guilty of worrying about everything but my classes. When I did think about it, I wasn’t really sure what to expect from my courses. Once I got here, the transition was easy! I go to school at the CEA Rome Center, which is a very different setup from Alabama -- but it’s a good sort of different. The school itself is quite small, but it’s nice because I get to see all of my friends hanging around even if we don’t have classes together. The small size of the school means that we also have small class sizes. This alone has made academics an enjoyable aspect, as it made meeting people so much easier.
This is the Resource Lounge at school. We all come to hang out here in between classes to get homework done.
The idea that I’m going to school in another country doesn’t really hit me all that often. I think this is partly because I go to school with all Americans, so I don’t have the chance to meet Italians in class to remind me that I’m in another country. However, it will hit me in Italian class because of my professor, Mario, the coolest Italian man ever. His energy makes learning the language fun, and he loves experiential learning. With this, we’ve been able to have class in cafes and markets so we can practice using our Italian with locals. This has definitely been my favorite part about classes here in Rome.
The front desk on the first floor of school! This is where I can find out really anything from Cecilia (who is an actual saint and helps all of us out with anything).
Beyond learning Italian, I’m studying international business. This is interesting because I’m getting a true international viewpoint, as the professor is not American. The classes I’m taking here in Rome are going toward my minor instead of my major, so that’s something that makes me different from everyone else in my program. The only difficulty I’ve had with classes has been getting my brain into business mode and out of public relations mode. I would say that’s not too bad of a problem to have.
Overall, the actual "studying" part of studying abroad is an easy transition from college at home. Making sure to balance your travels and your schoolwork will take time to manage, but everyone figures it out soon enough.