Interactive Classes

Written by jenmcclain June 4, 2018

Ciao!

Another week has gone by and I can’t believe how fast it is going. The adjustment to block scheduling is now secure and classes are well underway. As a junior, who has taken many classes thus far, I was curious how they were going to fit a college level course into four weeks. I have taken many summer classes at eight weeks and thought it was a lot of information to cover.

One of the reasons the classes have worked so well, in my opinion, is because of the teachers. They are very good at interacting with students and getting them to participate. Which is no mean feat considering most of the class is fighting jet lag or are tired from an intense schedule and hanging out with friends. Having that interactive participation helps tremendously with retention. I found that extremely helpful for the amount of content that we cover on a daily basis.

The classes are tough too, as most college level classes are, but I think what makes these achievable is how they’re set up. On average you have six hours of class a day twice a week, and three hours a day twice a week. They also rotate the classes around to make sure you get the opportunity to participate in the after class activities. You definitely need good time management skills, but once into the routine it’s easy.

It takes a good team to create and run an intense schedule like this, not to mention adding 160 students, and they manage it with style. The staff at CIMBA has found a great technique to make the students responsible for their classes, after class commitments, meal planning, and activity participation. All while giving students time to have fun and enjoy their stay in Italy. They even schedule all the transportation to and from activities and help students with transportation on travel weekends.

For me, knowing that they already had it all figured out took away a lot of stress and concern. So, thank you CIMBA staff for all you do!

Best wishes,

Jen