Author: Izabelle Simonian | Major: Biomedical Engineering | Semester: Spring 2025
Exploring Villa d’Este in Tivoli, Italy
Hi, my name is Izabelle Simonian! I am a sophomore at the University of Arkansas studying biomedical engineering on the pre-med track. This semester, I’m lucky enough to be studying abroad in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy, where I’ll spend the next four months exploring, learning, and experiencing Italian culture firsthand! I knew I wanted to study abroad from the moment I took my campus tour. Hearing stories about other people traveling the world and experiencing different cultures truly intrigued me, and when I heard about this new study abroad program specifically tailored for biomedical engineering students, I knew immediately I had to join. As part of the first group of biomedical engineers from the University of Arkansas to study here, there are five of us total–including my twin brother, whom I convinced to join me–and we are navigating this exciting new step in our lives together!
Arriving in Rome at the start of January was easily one of the most exciting yet nerve-wracking moments of my life. My brother and I have travelled around the world together before and even visited Rome previously, but the realization about how this city would become my home for the next four months was something entirely new. Thankfully, I wasn’t stepping into this adventure alone. The five of us biomedical engineers had all lived together in Hotz Hall during our freshman year, which made settling in much easier and comforting.
Academically, our first month in Rome has already immersed us in difficult engineering topics and Italian culture. We are taking courses in Thermodynamics, Mechanics of Fluids, Biomechanical Engineering, and Biomedical Instrumentation, each taught by dedicated Italian professors who are very helpful in teaching us challenging concepts through practical and interactive teaching methods. Also, our elective class, “To Rome with Love, ” has given us great insight into the history surrounding Italian traditions and culture, as well as useful language skills, and has taught us important words and phrases to help us get through our day-to-day.
Our classes typically last around three hours each day, which gives us plenty of time to explore Rome, meet other students studying abroad with us, and just soak in the city’s atmosphere. During our very first weekend in Rome, we had the incredible opportunity to visit the Vatican! The Rome Center has many trips planned throughout Italy to help students explore diverse landscapes and engage more deeply with the country and one another. Here at the Rome Center, we have students studying from the University of Arkansas, the University of Tennessee, and Thomas Jefferson University. Since there are only five of us studying biomedical engineering, we’re grouped with architecture students on these trips, which has allowed us to meet many kind and amazing people. One of my favorite memories so far took place at the Sistine Chapel, where we quickly bonded with some great architecture students from Jefferson. We were enjoying our time so much that we accidentally lost track of our tour guide. We panicked and raced through the chapel trying to find our group, only to give up and sit together in the main chapel, laughing and just appreciating the unexpected moment with Michelangelo’s “The Creation of Adam” painting above us. About thirty minutes later, our group finally reappeared. We had rushed through for nothing, but it made for a hilarious bonding experience. Two weeks later, we took another memorable weekend trip to Tivoli on Friday and Orvieto on Saturday. We explored Villa d’Este, Hadrian’s Villa, the stunning Duomo di Orvieto, and St. Patrick’s Well, where we were able to climb inside, and I quickly realized just how out of shape I am. Both towns had breathtaking mountain views and architecture, making the weekendunforgettable. I’m especially grateful we visited these unique locations, as they weren’t places I would have discovered on my own. As my first month in Rome comes to an end, I already feel incredibly grateful for the experiences and memories I have made. I can’t wait for all the new adventures to come in my next three months here.