Author: Nate Kingsbury | Major: Data Science | Semester: Summer 2025

Visit to a large cathedral with my program

This summer, I spent 5 weeks studying abroad in the Eternal City of Rome, Italy.  I was fortunate enough to be accepted into a history program at the University of Arkansas Rome Center, where we studied modern Italian history and explored transatlantic relations between the United States and Italy.  As a data science major, this field was very far out of my comfort zone.  Usually sticking to coding and spreadsheets, expanding my wheelhouse with book reports and historical essays would be a nice change of pace.  The University’s Rome Center is a fantastic campus and provides students with a perfect opportunity to learn while abroad.  Campus location is directly near a variety of famous landmarks that are associated with this historic city, with Piazza Navona, the Trevi Fountain, and the Pantheon all being within a 15-minute walk.  I had always dreamed of visiting Rome.  My parents, both history teachers, have passed on their love for history to me. What better place to learn about history than the most historic city in the world?

My academic experiences abroad were very different from what I initially expected.  There was much more classroom time than hands-on learning and tours.  The day would consist of PowerPoint learning from 10 am to 3:45 pm with a break for lunch.  Our professor was very engaging, as he included many videos and employed techniques that helped us better learn the content.  He also scheduled many tours to help us further our learning, such as touring the Vatican and taking trips through various museums pertaining to our curriculum.  For example, the program took my class to the top of the Victor Emmanuel monument, built to honor the first king of a unified Italy.  In addition to a spectacular view of the city from which you can see everything stretching from the Vatican to the Colosseum, there lies a museum about the unification of Italy.  This museum is very detailed and is stuffed full of artifacts from the period, as well as facts that helped me and my classmates expand our overall knowledge.  These different trips helped the program avoid monotony and made the learning very entertaining.

I was also lucky enough to go on a multitude of trips during my experience abroad.  My first weekend in Italy, I took an hour train ride out to Sorrento and went on an absolutely beautiful hike called “The Path of the Gods”.  The views were spectacular, and it was by far the best hike I’ve ever embarked on.  That same trip, I also climbed to the top of Mount Vesuvius and overlooked the entire city of Naples.  Fortunately, the massive volcano decided to spare me during that journey.  Another weekend, I journeyed over to Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance.  Here I got to see the David sculpture, which is truly a masterpiece.  I’ve never looked upon an artwork that seemed so real.  The last weekend, I traveled out to Venice and Bologna.  The food in Bologna, including lasagna and pasta Bolognese, was the highlight of this trip.  Furthermore, the layout of the Venetian city is something I’ve never seen before.  The canals are mesmerizing, and I can’t believe how an entire city works so efficiently using these unique waterways.  These weekend trips were far and away my favorite part of the experience.  These were times when I didn’t have to worry about school at all and could just enjoy the experience of being abroad.