‘Study’ in Study Abroad

Classes are in full swing, and they are not a joke. There really is a ‘study’ in ‘study abroad.’ In my economics classes we get to take field trips to companies that have local branches. This opportunity isn’t usually offered during full semester courses on my home campus. It provides an opportunity to directly apply what we are learning in the classroom. The real world application of classroom topics is invaluable in internalizing and understanding the material. For example, while going over foreign currency, we talked about converting our USD to Euros, and it helps break the complicated parts of the subject matter down. Since the classes are only for a few weeks, these company visits really bring the material we cover in class together.

The two factories we went to were very different. One is a family-owned food packaging company, and the other produces the trigger mechanisms for spray bottles. They were very candid, had valuable presentations, and answered all of our questions. Afterwards, I felt as though I had a good understanding of each company’s operations and how it directly relates to what we covered in class. Each visit we went on was very interesting and engaging!

Trying to focus on schoolwork while in Italy can be very distracting, but studying in groups has helped a lot. The classrooms being open 24/7 and the picnic tables outside make for great places to meet up! Especially if your study buddies are from other schools, they always have something new to explain about the subject.

   

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