At the Vatican

Author: Brady McCarthy | Major: International Business

I chose this program because I fell in love with the idea of studying in Rome. When I first heard about the UARK campus in Rome, I knew I had to find a way to study there. Unfortunately, when I looked into the curriculum further the classes I needed did not line up with the classes offered at the UARK campus. I looked into other options to study abroad and found The American University of Rome through ISA. ISA helps students find different programs in different cities. The ISA program included two excursions to Florence/Tuscany and Sorrento/Capri plus several day trips around Rome. ISA consists of a group of students from many different schools. We all lived in the same apartment building, this was a great way to make new friends. We were all in the same boat of not knowing anyone in Rome, so we bonded quickly. 

This program will help with my academic goals because I made sure all of the classes I took abroad would transfer back to UARK and keep me on schedule. The classes were very group-based. This strengthened my capabilities in working on a team and collaborating on projects. Along with the teamwork, the classes helped me see things from a different point of view. Every class had students from different countries more than just Italy and the United States. I had classes with people from Germany, Greece, and Jordan to name a few. Having all of these perspectives in a collaborative classroom broadens your view of different tasks. This will help me professionally because I hope to work internationally. This hands-on experience with different cultures and ideas will help me adapt quicker to other cultures. 

I really enjoyed the classes and professors I had at The American University of Rome. The professors worked on many different projects outside the classroom and some were retired. They all had tons of stories from their vast experiences. The professors had work-related examples from their diverse backgrounds to tie into our lesson plans and projects. For example, my negotiation professor would spend the morning in Milan arbitrating a case, then take the train to make it to our evening class. The professor then could tie in what he was doing at his job to what we were learning in class that day. This type of teaching really helped with the “why” of learning because I had real-life examples. Their stories kept the class entertained too and made for some interesting lessons. 

The classes I took abroad were different because UARK does not offer these specific international courses. I took negotiating globally, new product development, and global value chain, which do not have direct affiliates with courses at UARK. Since I am in International business the classes were able to fit into my course progression. These classes were all very different from the courses I had taken before. In negotiation class we learned techniques, then were able to have mock negotiations in class, which were really fun. New product development was an upper-level marketing and management course in which we made up a new product. We then worked through the different stages of marketing and managing the product internationally. In global value chain, everyone in the class picked a different commodity and looked at its value chain. Each week we had different assignments to find ways to improve the chain, culminating in a final project report. Overall, the classes were very small with a maximum of 20 people but half of my classes only had 10 students.

One of my favorite things we did was to engage in the football (soccer) lifestyle in Europe. We would watch the champions league or Serie A, play FIFA, play football in the park, and even go to some games. After a couple of weeks of watching football on tv, we decided to buy a ball to play in a park right by the school. We would play a couple of times a week to run around and talk to the locals. Eventually, we decided to get tickets to go to an AS Roma game. This was one of the first sporting events we had been to in a couple of months. I loved the atmosphere and chants. We even took this experience when we traveled on the weekends. In London, we went to the FA cup semi-final game at Wembley Stadium to watch my favorite team, Chelsea. This was even more fun than the Roma game because we could understand most of the chants. 

I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to study in Rome if the UARK campus does not offer your classes. The school is very small but has a strong sense of community among all the students. Right next to the campus there are great cafes, lunch spots, and huge parks to relax between classes. Although the campus is only a 30-minute walk to the main attractions of Rome, it feels very local and familiar. 

The best advice I got before coming to study abroad was to not have any expectations and to be surprised by the new things in the cultures. I found this really helpful because it allowed me to get the full experience of different aspects of life. I was able to adapt in the moment instead of trying to be something I “should” be doing. I had my unique experience and discovered Rome without preconceived notions. It was the best way for me to enjoy the experience. 

The first thing I wanted to do when I got home was to have Mexican food. The Italian food was awesome but I was craving good Mexican food and for that cuisine there are not a lot of options in Europe.