making a wish at the Trevi Fountain in Rome!
Author: Lauren Markland | Major: Finance | Semester: Summer 2023
Studying abroad is an experience that few have the privilege of experiencing. Throughout high school and college I had always known that I wanted to study abroad and when I heard about the CIMBA program I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. The CIMBA program gave me the chance to learn from professors from all across the country that I wouldn’t have otherwise been able to on the University of Arkansas campus. It also located in a small town called Paderno Del Grappa, Italy which I preferred over a big city. One unique thing about the CIMBA program that I loved was the opportunity to go visit local businesses and see how the things that I was learning in my classes applied to their business. My professors were amazing, and I wish I had the chance to take a full semester course with them. It was definitely an adjustment trying to fit in a whole semester worth of content in just 4 weeks, but our teachers made everything fun and enjoyable to learn. Because the classes were much smaller than the average college class, we got to have more interactive and discussion with peers and our teachers, which is something that I really appreciated. This experience not only allowed me to advance my academic goals, but also my professional ones as well. By saying I studied abroad, I am showing employers that I am capable of being independent and adaptable to knew environments or cultures. Being able to travel and navigate new places in foreign countries is a skill that I will be able to take with me for the rest of my life.
One amazing aspect of the CIMBA program was the opportunities it gave to experience the culture outside of the classroom as well. I had the opportunity to take a pizza making class during my time in Italy. Although our instructor spoke practically no English, I still learned so much about the art of pizza making. Italians take great pride in their food and you can tell with the care and quality of not just the ingredients, but also the craftsmanship and attention to detail that they put into every dish. The CIMBA program also made it easy to learn the rules of public transportation. Public transportation is much more common in Europe than it is here in America. Every weekend we hopped on a train, bus, taxi, plane, or all of the above and headed off to explore a new place. This was an experience I can say none of us were used to, but quickly learned to appreciate. It made navigating and accessing the country so much easier than it is in America.
If you have the chance to study abroad I would tell you to take it as soon as you can, and to consider going on the CIMBA program. It was truly an incredible experience. It was the perfect length and gives you an opportunity to explore the small town side of Italy rather than just the main tourist destinations. It was also such an amazing way to meet students from all across the country as well as fellow razorbacks. If you do end up going on the CIMBA program I would definitely recommend bringing at least a weeks worth of warmer clothes. The program is located in the northern region of Italy, so the first week left us a bit chillier than we expected. I would also recommend bringing some American snacks if you can.