From my time abroad in Rome, the aspect that has piqued my interest the most has been the public transportation system. I come from the Dominican Republic, which is a country that is not known for having a good public transportation system. When I moved to the United States, the aspect of transportation was very…
Category: Italy: ISA Rome
Pre-Departure Post
There are many aspects to American culture, but the first one that comes to mind is consumerism. Consumerism is a significant aspect of U.S. culture, represented by acquiring and consuming goods and services over one’s basic needs. This phenomenon is deeply ingrained in the American lifestyle, where buying power is usually linked to success and…
ISA Rome, Italy – 1st Blog Post
CVOLPE. One aspect of American culture I have experienced, being from the Midwest, is friendliness towards strangers. Especially in more rural areas away from big cities such as Chicago, it is common for strangers to smile or wave when walking or driving past each other. This behavior is seen as a common courtesy to ease…
ROME ISA Final Reflection Blog Post
Objective Description: While taking the public bus home in Rome, Italy, I encountered a situation where a woman sitting next to me was reprimanded by fellow passengers for speaking loudly on her phone. The bus was crowded, and the atmosphere was tense as people exchanged annoyed glances. One man spoke up, expressing his disapproval of…
Pre-Departure Blog – ISA Rome
I think one of the most identifiable aspects of American culture is the fast pace of life that many U.S. Citizens live; this often applies to multiple facets of one’s lifestyle including their work-life, eating/dining, traveling, communicating, etc. Americans value convenience, and often convenience comes with the expectation that things will be done for you…
Blog 1: Pre-Departure
An aspect of U.S. culture that stands out to me the most is individualism. What I’ve learned from my time in the United States is that personal freedom and the pursuit of individual goals are strongly emphasized in American culture. This is reflected in many aspects of life, ranging from the education system to the…
Final Blog Post – ISA Rome
HKEY — Italy is drastically different from the United States in multiple ways, whether it is the food andwine aspect or how they enjoy their free time. At each restaurant there are around three orfour courses in a meal and they expect you to pick one of each, they do not like it when you…
Final Blog Post (ISA Rome)
This past semester, studying abroad in Rome has been some of the most significant times of my life and the highlight of my collegiate experience. I am incredibly thankful for this learning opportunity, as it was academically and culturally enriching. Although I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Rome, there were a few cultural differences between…
Rome Study Abroad Final Blog Post
Studying abroad was undoubtedly one of the greatest experiences of my life. I learned so much valuable information, both academically and related to every day life that I will apply in the future. I recommend taking a semester abroad to anyone who is considering it.