Tips for Success

Studying abroad is full of unexpected experiences, but nothing could have prepared me for the absolute chaos that was our spring break. What we thought would be a calm, beautiful trip quickly turned into a series of unfortunate events that were both hilarious and oddly life changing. It all started in Barcelona when we arrived at our hostel, only to realize that my friend had accidentally booked it for the wrong dates. That set the tone for what was to come. In Lisbon, I managed to drop my phone into the ocean, where it remains to this day. One friend missed his 4 AM flight, another flipped her ATV in the pouring rain, someone lost their wallet, and to top it all off, another friend misplaced her passport in Morocco an hour before our flight. So yeah, it felt like we had accomplished every possible travel disaster in the book.

One fun perk of studying abroad through the CIMBA program is that it’s easy for students to travel to a new place each weekend. However, for students trying to predict their expenses and plan a budget, this may also be a stressful factor. CIMBA recommends students wait until they arrive at CIMBA to book weekend trips (which I totally agree with), but this makes it difficult to plan ahead. Although you won’t be able to make an exact budget before arriving at CIMBA, below I’ll share some general insight into how to budget and what to budget for.

Before studying abroad, I didn’t think about how time-consuming travel planning would be. Even at home, sometimes it can be hard to juggle everything that comes with being a student. But being a study abroad student comes with a whole new to-do list: homework and studying for exams, making new friendships, maintaining relationships with your friends and family back home, AND planning new trips each weekend. Not a lot of downtime if you ask me. So, if you’re thinking of spending a weekend in Florence, I’ll take one thing – a travel itinerary – off your plate. Because I just had the most amazing weekend in Florence, and I feel it would be a disservice to study abroad students everywhere not to share my advice.

Preparing for an adventure abroad is both exciting and nerve-wracking. As I prepared for my journey with the CIMBA program in Paderno del Grappa, Italy, I felt mixed emotions. Leaving my close-knit family, managing the chaos of packing, and navigating the long travel have all been part of this incredible experience. I’ve learned so much already, and I’m excited to share my story with anyone considering studying abroad.

I’m currently two days into my semester at CIMBA, and I’m feeling very excited for the upcoming semester. Although I haven’t been on campus long enough to share any exciting travel stories, I do have a few tips for a smoother arrival to campus.

The semester honestly felt like a dream. Part of me feels like I never left home, and the other part says that the semester could not end soon enough. I really struggled the entire first five days, but it was consistently better for me after that. I never felt low again to the extreme I did on days three and four, only a bit of homesickness.

Now that CIMBA has come to an end, I am left with reflections on my overall experience. Undoubtedly there were ups and downs. But overall, I would do the whole experience again in a heartbeat. I learned so much. So much about travel, so much about life, so much about what a successful career looks like, and so much about the world. I want everyone to know what to expect before they get into this program however, it was not always easy, except nothing good usually is.

For traveling in Europe, here are some tips: Train apps: Download Trenitalia, Italo Treno, ÖBB, and Trainline. Bassano Train Station is closest to campus, and taxis to Bassano are cheaper than Castelfranco. Trenitalia offers regional trains and free time changes (but not stations). Italo is for fast travel, and ÖBB is for trips to German-speaking countries. Use Trainline for booking long trips, though refunds or changes aren't possible. Flights: Use SkyScanner for affordable flights from Venice (VCE) or Treviso (TSF). Buses: Download FlixBus for cheap, overnight, or day trips across Europe. eSIM: Purchase via Airalo for easy setup and additional data top-ups.

For travel week, my parents, siblings, and grandparents all came to visit me, and we traveled around Italy! We started on the Amalfi Coast, then we went to Rome, then Tuscany, then Florence, and we ended in Milan! All of it was absolutely beautiful! However, the main two places that I have tips for are the Amalfi Coast and Rome!!

We now have two days left of class before being on travel break! It has been super fun hearing about all of the fun places everybody will be going this weekend. I will be traveling with my mom for the first week of fall break and am in the process of planning my final weekend in Bologna.

I had the opportunity to go to Warsaw and Milan this past weekend for our first extended break. The two cities were completely different, and I would do the weekend all over again if I could! I remember when discussing traveling plans with everybody for the long weekend, my friend and I decided to go to Warsaw, and we were met with blank stares. From that, I inferred that not many people at CIMBA (or at home) have been to Poland before and that excited me even more. I have zero regrets about choosing Warsaw.

My very first travel weekend was to Florence, and I have to say I recommend it! Florence is known for their leather market, amazing food, and amazing views. Let's start with the best way to get to Florence!

Ciao! Or should I say “hi!” now that I am officially back in the States? Since being home, I have missed lots of things from my time in Italy: my daily (sometimes multiple times a day) cappuccino, the drawn-out dinners filled with endless stories and laughs, waking up to the beautiful Dolomites right outside of my window, the cheap but delicious pizza and pasta. The list could go on. However, I’ve also been cherishing the time I now have to reflect on my study abroad experience–the memories, lessons learned, growth, and everything in between. In honor of the past week and a half of reflection time that I have had, I decided to share with you three things that I learned from my five weeks spent studying in and traveling around Italy. Let’s dive in:

Before traveling to Italy, I did some research on the ways American and European cultures vary. For example, I knew that we generally talked louder, ate faster, and dressed differently. I also knew that the food portion sizes would be smaller yet more nutrient dense. In fact, I wrote a research paper for my college English class, detailing the contrasting food policies of both nations. However, there were still many aspects unknown to me before my arrival. This blog will explain the things I found shocking and now do not take for granted being back home in the US.

Venice is just as gorgeous as portrayed in the movies! With its winding alleyways dividing the rows of shops and restaurants, you can get lost for hours on the island. The city is also accompanied by neighboring islands, such as Murano and Burano, accessible by a water taxi. Venice was my favorite trip, even compared to my stay in Rome and Florence! This blog will detail how I got to Venice, where I stayed, and what I did.

Today marks the final week of my journey at CIMBA. I chose to study abroad to step outside my comfort zone, and CIMBA offered an incredible balance of academic rigor and travel opportunities that I couldn't resist. As I look back on my time in Italy, it feels like it flew by, yet it has profoundly shaped who I am. I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything and am deeply grateful for everything I’ve encountered here. In this article, I want to reflect on my experience and break it down into three key areas: Academics, Culture, and Personal Growth. Let's dive in.

“We’ll take chicken and fries, please!” Sometimes familiarity and simplicity are needed amidst so much change.

It has officially been a little over a month since I arrived back in the United States and boy do I miss my time in Italy. Arriving back in the US I was expecting to deal with the reverse culture shock and the adjustment to going back to work and not being able to walk everywhere and thankfully I adjusted back quickly. However, now that I have been back for a while I have had time to reflect on my time spent in Italy and I have come to appreciate the memories I have made as well as some of the important lessons I learned along the way.

Before coming to CIMBA, I was eager to find out how I could maintain my fitness and health while studying abroad in Paderno del Grappa. Like many students experiencing Europe for the first time, I was determined to stay active and healthy. In just under a week here at CIMBA, I've discovered that I feel healthier than I ever did at home or university. Let's explore the different aspects of health and wellness here through two key categories: the gym and the café.

Even in my hometown, I sometimes still get lost. Seriously, friends and family have a running joke about my lack of direction. Understandably, many were worried when I confidently told them I would be traveling solo on my way to Italy. With little experience in airports and three flights to manage, I was also feeling a sense of anxiety. However, I soon realized that navigating the airport solo, while intimidating, isn’t as scary as many think. Following these preparation tips, it can be a seamless transition to your CIMBA adventure.

When I think of an organized person, the first character that comes to mind is definitely not myself. One thing I knew, however, when I first applied and was accepted to the CIMBA Study Abroad Program, was that I wanted to be prepared for the trip as best as I could.

I’ve never cared for the saying “All good things must come to an end”. While it may be entirely true, I have always had difficulty accepting that amazing experiences must end. This is exactly how I feel now that my semester abroad has been officially over for an entire month.

On Christmas Day, I always get a little bit sad that the season is ending. I adore all the music, decorations, food, and festivities Christmastime brings, and I am one of those people who never want it to end.

It has been almost one month to the day since I first arrived in Italy. It is hard to believe that we are 1 ⁄ 3 of the way through this experience, as it feels like I have been here forever, but somehow not very long at all. I have already learned so many things, one of them being that I was not entirely prepared for the things to come.

Studying abroad was such a life-changing experience. It was filled with new adventures, people, challenges, rewards, and experiences. If I could travel back in time to before studying abroad, here is a list of things I would tell myself in order to maximize my time at CIMBA…

My name is Kristin Kelly and I am a sophomore studying at West Virginia University. I always knew that I wanted to study abroad. I thought being immersed in a new world be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When I first heard about CIMBA, I was intrigued. Once I did more research, I had my eyes set on studying abroad through this program.

The 12 weeks of our semester abroad are sadly up and us students have said “arrivederci” to Paderno Del Grappa and “ciao” to our family and friends at home in America. After having some time to relax and reflect on the experience of this past semester, I wanted to use my last blog to offer some advice on how students can make the most of their CIMBA experience as well as provide my final reflection and thanks to the program.

Destinations don’t always align with others’ desires. Therefore you must explore them yourself. Here’s how to make the most of traveling alone.

Ciao! It’s been just over one week since our student cohort arrived here in Paderno del Grappa and I still can’t get over how gorgeous this campus is…we’ve all stayed extremely busy, as our time’s been filled with fun teambuilding activities, interactive problem solving/decision making classes, and late-night trip planning sessions where the craziest ideas get thrown out there.

Ciao! If you’re like me, you sometimes procrastinate when given projects, reading, research, or other assignments. You may put off learning Italian until three weeks before you spend three months in the country itself.

Traveling can be exhausting and overwhelming for both the body and the mind. Because there are so many changes happening at once, it can be easy to forget about your mental health. In this blog post I hope to offer resources to help other study abroad students find new ways to check-in with themselves before the trip, during their travels, and on the flight back home.

During the first week of CIMBA, one of the hardest tasks was planning a last-minute trip for the weekend. Unfortunately, when planning a trip last minute, there are always a few things that can go wrong for first-time travelers. When these obstacles happen, there is always something to learn from the experience.

As my time here at CIMBA is coming to an end, I wanted to use this blog to share some funny moments that happened during my time abroad! You only post what you want people to see on Instagram and needless to say these fails did not make my Instagram feed…

Ciao!! My name is Mekenna Earnhart, and I just finished my sophomore year at the University of Arkansas. My major is broadcast journalism. I love to write and to tell stories, so I am so excited to share my journey abroad with you all.

Learn all about exploring Italy without a car, the customs of the country, and staying safe as a tourist.

I am here to be honest about money to give you all a good idea of how much this program costs and how you could go about paying for your study abroad experience. One reason why many people back at my university choose to not study abroad is because the cost is so high. I agree with that it’s a lot of money, but beyond worth it. Here is how I financed my trip.

Students here aren’t known for their planning or time management abilities. That’s why I’d like to inform you on what not to do as well how you can be a better traveler than the Spring 2022 CIMBA group. Don’t get me wrong, we know how to have a good time. It’s just getting to our destination in first place that is the problem.

It now has been five days since arriving in Paderno del Grappa, Italy. I have already experienced and learned so much. Now that I know some do’s and don’ts of what to pack as well as how to better prepare I have some very important advice to share with any future CIMBA students who may be reading this blog.

From mountains to beaches, Italy offers so many breathtaking sights to see! I had the amazing opportunity to spend my first day of March 2020 in Catania, Sicily. It was definitely an unforgettable trip especially since it was the last trip I was able to take during my stay in Italy, but that’s a topic for another blog!

Deciding to study abroad is a complicated and difficult decision. Leaving all of your family and friends behind (unless some of your friends decide to join you) is not an easy choice to make.

I never get tired of the breathtaking mountain view. Every morning, when I open my curtains, I take in the landscape, and every single time, it still amazes me. This past weekend, I decided to wander aimlessly throughout the nearby cities, and no words can convey the level of serenity and content I felt during that time.

Before leaving the United States, I flooded Google with searches like “study abroad tips”, “affording study abroad”, “how to pack for study abroad”, “must-see places in Europe” and anything else that could help me prepare. Is there any possible way to be 100% prepared?

Three weeks into my time in Italy and there’s already so much to talk about! But first, I’d like to give an update on a few of the goals I mentioned in my previous blog. One of my personal goals had been to appreciate the outdoors more often and I must say, in Italy that was hardly a challenge.

Hello everyone, it’s Hannah and I am back with another blog to talk to you guys about travel planning! Out of all the students in my program this semester, I have traveled to the most countries. Whoo! By the end of the semester, I will have been to 10 countries!

Prior to being here, I had so many questions about what CIMBA was like, specifically what past students thought about the campus and travel opportunities. Here are some major points to consider before deciding on a study abroad program.

Hello everyone, it’s Hannah and I am back with another blog to talk to you guys about homesickness. Homesickness is something that, until traveling abroad, I had not ever felt.

Financing your study abroad – it’s a big task! When I was first figuring out where I wanted to study abroad, finances were definitely a huge factor in my decision.