We’re already on week ten of the semester, and it feels like my time at CIMBA is flying by. Between traveling on the weekends, attending classes, and participating in CIMBA’s activities during the week, it’s easy to stay busy. Before coming here, I didn’t fully realize how many activities CIMBA organizes for students, but I’ve been enjoying it. Below, I’ll share a bit of what to expect throughout the semester.
During our very first week at CIMBA, I knew about the orientation programs and expected to participate in either LIFE or Genesis. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that CIMBA also hosts a welcome dinner for all the students. On our first Friday night, we were shuttled to a restaurant in a nearby town, where we enjoyed an incredible four-course meal – complete with dessert and an espresso – and spent over three hours getting to know each other and some of the professors.
Later in the semester, we attended another formal dinner. This one began with a cocktail hour (featuring what felt like a million appetizers) and ended with a glass of dessert wine and a pastry. During our final week here, we’ll attend one last formal dinner to celebrate our time at CIMBA, and I’m really looking forward to it -- the food is always amazing.
While some CIMBA activities are centered around spending time with each other, other activities focus on integrating students into Italian culture. For example, one morning after spring break, we had the opportunity to tour Italian companies and learn about their businesses. I visited Scotton, a packaging manufacturing company, where I learned about their business model and product lines. Other students toured a clothing company or a bakery (I was a bit jealous of that one—they got free samples!). While this was a mandatory academic activity, CIMBA also offers optional weeknight activities that provide even more cultural experiences.
If you’re looking to learn more about Italian culture, you can choose to sign up for the Add a Seat program. This activity gives you the opportunity to have dinner with an Italian family. The people that participated in this raved about it – unsurprisingly, a home-cooked Italian meal is much better than CIMBA cafeteria food.
If you like to cook and want to learn about Italian cuisine, CIMBA holds pizza and pasta making classes. These are extremely popular and fill up very quickly. Although I didn’t get to attend CIMBA’s classes, I took a pasta making class in Florence and had a blast. Another food-centered activity to look out for are the dinners hosted by professors during the week. These dinners consist of everything from tacos to sushi, and it’s a great way to get to know your professors.
If you’re someone who likes to be outdoors, you’ll enjoy the Monte Grappa hike hosted by one of the professors. This semester, it unfortunately was rained out, but students are always able to hike up the mountain on their own time. Supposedly, it takes roughly two hours to hike up, and I’m sure it’s faster coming back down.
Of course, there are also other unstructured activities on campus that students can participate in. CIMBA rents out sporting equipment (anything from a basketball to pickleball paddles), so there’s always something active to do. There are also guitars available to rent, and it’s common for students to watch movies and sporting events in the classrooms at night. Whether you prefer structured events or just hanging out with friends, there’s something for everyone, and I can pretty much guarantee you’ll never be bored at CIMBA.
Until next time,
Sydney