Pisa, Italy

Author: Britton Adair | Major: Industrial Engineering | Semester: Summer 2025

I studied abroad in Italy at the University of Arkansas Center in Rome. I was approached with the study abroad program by my academic advisor, who told me I was able to take two of my industrial engineering classes in the program over the summer. I have always wanted to see Europe, and Italy is one of the most fascinating and historical places in the world. I felt like it would be a perfect opportunity for me to go abroad and learn a different culture and history while staying applied to my degree and pursuing engineering. I was there for 5 weeks (35 days), from May 25^th to June 28^th this summer. I took Engineering Economics and Project Management and did several company tours with both classes and learned a lot! The biggest moment that stood out for me was the Hitachi Rail company tour. I was so interested in the facility and learned so much about the manufacturing process of trains and the allocation of materials and resources in the industry. It felt so rewarding being an industrial engineer in this tour, as I felt like so many of the topics discussed were geared for me to tackle. At the end of the facility viewing our tour guide even said that he wanted to hire the industrial engineers that were there. I feel like my choice of pursuing industrial engineering will greatly help me academically and professionally, and I felt like my time in Rome really confirmed that for me. I also loved learning about the history of country and experiencing so much more than I could ever imagine. I took a lot of weekend trips throughout my stay in Italy and traveled all across the country. I went to Vernazza in Cinque Terre, as well as Naples, Pompeii, Sorento, Florence, Bologna, and Pisa. Vernazza and Sorento were my favorite, as they were on the ocean line and some of the most beautiful places I’ve been to in my life. Vernazza is a small town in a valley of mountains with super clear water and great weather. I went with my roommates, and we did a 2 hour scenic hike to get to our hotel! Rome was beautiful and it was very surprising how large it was. It’s approximately the size of 17 Fayettevilles! There was no way I was able to see all of Rome, but there was never a dull or repeated experience in it. The transit system was very new to me, as the city is very walkable and there are bus routes all throughout the city. What did surprise me was the way Italians handle air conditioning and washing clothes! They’re very energy conservative, so not much power is put into cooling, and you have to air dry your clothing. Cheese, bread, and wine was all very affordable because it’s all made locally, but meat was more expensive because it was imported more often and so it was interesting getting used to different foods. My advice for anyone wanting to study abroad would be to look into the living conditions of where you’re going, be sure you’re studying something you want to, and be prepared to explore! I was walking so often every single day, with several days of me getting 25,000 steps in a day. It’s a great experience, and I think anyone who is hesitant to study abroad should go for it.