I've had an incredible time studying abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Every day I find myself in a new adventure, meeting new people, and immersing myself in the culture here. USAC has done an incredible job at making me feel safe, supported, and comfortable. Academically, I feel scaffolded to learn new information about the community and the Reggio Emilia approach, combining the perfect mix of theoretical and practical study. Socially, this community has been an amazing place, filled with weekly events, concerts, and just a welcoming town feeling in general. This has definitely been an experience of a lifetime.

The best part about Reggio Emilia is it is not super crowded with tourists. It’s a small city full of life where you can meet Italian locals and truly immerse yourself in the culture. I loved being able walk and get gelato whenever I wanted, then explored using easy access to bus transportation to the mall and movie theater and then to the train station too. The local cuisine is also phenomenal, erbazzone is devine and each Wednesday during the summer the piazza’s are full of energy with dancing, concerts and so much more. The only downfall was no air conditioning in my apartment during a heatwave. The planned field trips were amazing from trying balsamic vinegar to even exploring a castle there is something for everyone. The support from the program directors is excellent, they were always there for all my questions and made the program feel like home.

I have been abroad multiple times, but this time was obviously different. Living in a small town is what I loved because every single morning, you would see most of the same people, walk the same path, and see different things. What was special was that in Reggio Emilia, not a lot of locals spoke english, so you had to try to speak Italian. Once you saw them every day, they would know your order, and try to speak english to you and they loved seeing you. It was a great experience, that I recommend to everyone!

I truly cannot recommend studying abroad to Reggio Emilia enough. I loved the small town charm, and I felt that I got to be more fully immersed in the Italian culture than I would have been had I studied abroad in a major city, like Florence or Rome. I was also really glad that I was a little bit forced to learn the Italian language to get by. The location of Reggio was also great, being close to both Bologna and Milan, and it was very easy to travel to other parts of Europe from there. My classes were relevant to my major and challenging, and I was very lucky to have wonderful resident advisors there to help me with anything I needed.

It was amazing to be able to study child development in Reggio Emilia, the home of the Reggio Emilia Approach. I felt challenged yet supported throughout the program, and I learned a lot. I enjoyed the experience as much as I learned from it, and could not have asked for a better experience. The team that we worked with helped us with the language barrier, culture shock, and invaluable experiences. They helped us with any problems that came up and helped us to feel like we were not alone, even though we were in an unfamiliar situation.

Studying abroad can sound very intimidating and a little bit scary, but if you're even considering it, DO IT!! I definitely had my doubts before choosing to study abroad; how would I afford it, where would I go, would I make friends, how would I navigate a whole new country alone?! But, I chose to do it and it was even better than I imagined! I lived in Reggio Emilia which is a smaller city in Italy and I think that was a great choice for me. It was a spot where not as many tourists went so it felt a little bit like home, as I am from a smaller town. But, I was still close to the bigger cities and I traveled there on the weekends. Studying abroad has changed how my outlook on life. I take time to enjoy life more and live a slower life. I am more focused on taking care of myself and spending time with the people I love rather than letting school and work consume me. Living in Italy was a big change for me because they were much more laid back and more focused on enjoying life and being your family and friends. I physically felt my stress levels decrease when I was there, even though I was still taking classes. I found the time to do schoolwork and go to class and still have plenty of time to hangout with my friends and travel. The experience has made me more confident, open-minded, and appreciative of the little things in life. So, like I said before, if you are thinking about studying abroad, just do it!! You won't regret it!

Spending a year abroad in Italy was one of the best experiences of my life. Experiencing a different culture, exploring a beautiful country, and making lifelong friends are just a few of the reasons why I fell in love with studying abroad. I highly recommend studying abroad for a year to anyone who is even slightly interested, provided you have the funds and means to do so. As a Child Development major, I was extremely grateful to witness firsthand how children learn using the Reggio Emilia Approach to Learning. The program also required us to take an Italian language class, which allowed us to immerse ourselves even more deeply into the culture. With the freedom to travel on weekends, I was able to visit 25 different cities, 8 different countries, and cross 5 items off my personal bucket list. I wouldn’t change anything about my experience living in Reggio Emilia, Italy, for a year-long program. If I had one piece of advice for anyone planning to study abroad, it would be this: Make every adventure, memory, and experience count.

This trip was the most life-changing experience of my life. On the day of my departure, all of my flights were cancelled/delayed. I was feeling SO helpless and wanted to back down, but my support system encouraged me to go. I am so glad they did because I had the change to visit Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast; I got to meet lifelong friends; and I had the chance to be fully immersed in Italian culture. If I had chose to back-out of the trip, the learning experiences and beautiful things that I saw would have never happened for me. Everyday I am so thankful I was able to make this trip happen, and I encourage everyone to MAKE. IT. HAPPEN. You can do it!