This is me on a hike in Stoos, Switzerland!

Author: Mason Moser | Majors: Accounting, Finance | Semester: Summer 2023

I chose the Cimba Study Abroad program due to numerous recommendations from former Cimba students at the U of A. They spoke very highly of the program, and were happy to answer any questions and share stories of experiences they’d had throughout their travels. I decided to look into the program a bit more, and was very satisfied with what I found. The program is tailored towards business majors, featuring professors from across the United States, all very talented at teaching the different facets of business! I was happy to discover that there would be opportunities to hear from local Italian business owners, as well as learn from some of the best professors in the country! After completing the program, I can indeed attest that the professors were wonderful and the curriculum fulfilled and exceeded my expectations. The professors of each course I took, Global Economics taught by Eric Olson from the University of Tulsa and The Global Consumer taught by Molly Rapert of the University of Arkansas, ensured that the curriculum related directly to current real-world events, something I have not seen too often in classes at the U of A. We discussed topics that were vital to understanding the inner workings of worldly cultures and economics, and I now feel as if I have a much better understanding of how the world works! Also, several times a week, we were given the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. Each class had a three hour period in the afternoon once a week in which we would take a trip to a nearby business and hear from employees and owners concerning the product/service they offer. My personal favorite was a tour of the Brazzale Cheese storing facility, the largest automated cheese storing facility in the entire world. The facility has the ability to store over 250,000 wheels of cheese at a time, using the local clean air and unique location to its advantage. We were able to hear from the owner and founder, as he discussed with us the complications currently facing Italian businesses. This is just one example of numerous fantastic learning opportunities I experienced outside of the classroom!

During the weekends, we were given the opportunity to travel anywhere we wanted, as long as we could make it back for class on Monday! On our first travel weekend, I went with a group to Cinque Terre – a beautiful Italian coastal town. We got there by train, and quickly learned how to navigate the obstacles of not reading the Italian language in the numerous train stations we encountered! This was our first true experience outside of the school, so learning small customs in Italian culture such as paying to use the restroom and making sure to “validate” a train ticket were very useful for the rest of the trip. The next weekend, I visited both Rome and Florence, with Rome being my favorite of the two. The Vatican had breath-taking architecture that was unlike anything I have ever seen, and shows just how much thought was placed into such a beautiful city. On the third weekend, I visited a friend in Prague, Czech Republic. Prague is a beautiful city, with a ton of gothic architecture. It was great to see my friend, and awesome to meet his friends from all over Europe. It was great speaking to them about their impressions of America, and funny to be corrected when referring to Europe as “over here” in front of them! I stayed one extra week, and visited Switzerland, France, and Spain. Each of these countries were unique in their culture and landscape, and I loved my experiences in them. My favorite post-Cimba travel experience was Switzerland, where I took part in a hike in the Swiss Alps.

Although it is hard to know what to expect prior to arriving at a study abroad experience, I do believe there are some universal tips that all students should keep in mind when abroad. Taking advantage of all opportunities, both big and small, is vital to getting the most out of a study abroad experience. For me, this was taking part in a “ferrata” climb and paragliding, but for others it may look like going to introduce themselves to a new group of people! There is endless opportunities to exit the “comfort zone” that we are used to at home, and I recommend doing just that while abroad. I also wish I had known just how helpless it feels at times not to speak the language of a country. Although Google Translate helped immensely, I did find myself becoming very annoyed that I had not taken some time to study more foreign languages prior to studying abroad!

Overall, this experience has been the best of my life, and I cannot recommend Cimba Italy enough to prospective students. Studying abroad truly is an experience with unmatched potential for personal and professional growth, and I hope for anyone interested to act upon their ideas – it’s worth it!