Class trip to the Colosseum
Author: Sydney Buford | Major: Apparel Merchandising and Product Development | Semester: Spring 2023
Spring of 2023 was the semester I finally took the leap and studied abroad in Rome at the University of Arkansas Rome Center. I had wanted to study abroad here ever since I applied to be a student at the U of A back in high school. Not many schools have another campus that happens to be in another country, let alone Rome. I knew it would be an incredibly unique experience to study in another country with the same university. The Rome Center has an amazing curriculum, offering courses about Italian language and culture, but what excited me the most were the unique and diverse fashion courses.
One of the main reasons why I picked this program is because of my major, Apparel Merchandising and Product Development. What better place to learn about fashion than in Italy, one of the most significant fashion centers in the world? Not only was I immersed in fashion just because of where I was studying, but also because of the classes I was taking. Antonella Buono, a professor with an incredible background in illustrating and costume design among many other specialties, taught all three of my fashion courses. With class sizes of 7-20 people, it was really easy to build a relationship with my professor and get hands-on, highly personalized critiques. It was amazing to not only learn from Professor Buono, but also have her guidance in the direction of my projects. By the end of the semester, I had portfolios in three areas: trend forecasting, fashion and architecture, and design. These portfolios included physical pieces of texture and shape experiments along with digital pieces, like clothing flats and styling plans.
My friends and I squeezed in a lot of trips outside of Rome during the span of the semester. It seemed like we were traveling somewhere new most weekends. At times it felt like life was moving so fast, but I wouldn’t trade the memories for anything. However, we learned early on that it’s important to take time to pause and enjoy the stillness of where you are rather than checking off everything on your bucket list within one weekend. Early in April, my friends and I took a train down to the Amalfi Coast. Unfortunately, it was cold and rainy the whole weekend. Not exactly what you’d hope for while seeing one of the most beautiful coasts in the world, but this ended up being one of my favorite trips. While it was raining, we hopped from cafe to cafe, trying different espressos and meeting baristas and shop owners to try to stay out of the rain. We heard so many stories and got to befriend locals, something that isn’t as common when you’re on the go and seeing all of the main attractions a place has to offer. While eating lunch at a pizza restaurant the same day, the power went out. Rather than rushing to leave, we stayed and talked to others in the candlelit restaurant for hours. It felt like one big party of people from all different countries. We even made friends with the owner, Mario, and came back to visit him before we left the Amalfi Coast. It was the small and unexpected moments like cliff jumping in Croatia, trying new foods in Spain, and this day on the Amalfi Coast that made studying abroad so special.
In all honesty, studying abroad was an adjustment for me at first. I grew up with divorced parents and was switching between houses for as long as I can remember. I knew that this made me more adaptable to new places, and I didn’t expect many challenges while living in another country. I quickly learned upon arrival that I’ve had specific ways of living that were never really put into question. It’s easy to get used to a routine in college, especially when you’ve found a close group of friends to stick with. I had to learn to be okay with a new and unexpected lifestyle. Additionally, when living in another country, you are always an outsider, whether you like it or not. You can choose to hate it, or you can fully immerse yourself in the culture and learn all about it while still knowing you always have your home culture to come back to. You will make friends with people of all different backgrounds, and this will make you more empathetic. Almost every moment of every day, I was in awe of my surroundings and thankful of where I was. But even during the few times I wasn’t, like when I was pushing through homesickness or panicking after missing my train stop and arriving at the wrong city, I looked back and appreciated those moments the most because I learned and grew. Studying abroad will push you out of your comfort zone in ways you never expected.
If I could, I would keep studying abroad for the rest of my life! I recommend studying abroad (especially at the Rome Center) more than anything to anyone who has the opportunity. It will change your life and you will learn more about the world than you could in just a classroom. There’s just one big downside—making brand new best friends that may live far from you after your time abroad. The greatest challenge while studying abroad was saying goodbye.