Hike up Mont Grappa
Author: Jessie Weber | Major: International Business | Semester: Fall 2022
Hello! My name is Jessica Weber. I am an International Business major with minors in Spanish and Sustainability. I am currently studying abroad in Italy through the CIMBA program. I chose this program because it is targeted specifically for business students. I have always wanted to study in Italy and I was especially drawn in by the fact that the school is in a small town instead of a big city. So far, it has been a dream. I still can’t believe I am actually in Italy.
The last month has been as exhausting as it has been exciting. Balancing classes and school work with traveling on the weekends is not for the faint of heart. Since we only have a 12 week semester, versus the normal 16 week semester back home, the classes are sometimes twice as long and the course work you have to complete outside of class is about the same. Since our program group is so small, there is really a sense of community among the students. We all live on the same floor so it is not unusual for everyone to have their doors open with people bouncing from room to room as they work on various projects or in the study room working on a group paper. I have definitely had to learn how to maximize my time in order to have the weekends free for travel.
I have already traveled to various cities in Italy, like Verona and the Amalfi Coast. I have also traveled outside of the country for the first time to go to Germany for Oktoberfest. I was able to stay with a family friend which was super convenient considering how hard lodging is to find during Oktoberfest. It was also nice to strengthen those bonds and connect with them and their culture. So far, each travel experience is better than the last. Thankfully, my friends are good travelers, so our journeys have been pretty smooth. Of course, we have run into a few problems while we were trying to figure out the Italian public transportation system while speaking limited Italian. So far, we have not gotten lost or gotten stranded somewhere so I consider that a win. I would say we have all almost mastered the train system but the bus system is still a toss up.
On top of that, constantly learning and adapting to a new culture has been fascinating. It has been so exciting meeting new people and experiencing the Italian lifestyle. Many of our professors are Italian but the ones who are American are married to Italians. They have been a tremendous help to prepare us for what to expect and teach us some interesting differences between our countries. Speaking with the Italian students has been fun, too. Many of them do not attend our classes since they are in English, but we frequently see them suffering breaks and meals. They are very sweet to suggest places to travel to next or just invite us to hang out.