Italy: Verona - International Business, Tourism, Italian Studies

I studied Roman Art and Architecture in Verona from early July to early August. I went with my a fellow student at my University which was fun and definitely brought us closer, but there were plenty of people who traveled alone and instantly clicked with people. Italy is a great place to travel within and although I felt immersed in the city of Verona and there's so much to do, I think it's best to make the most of the weekends and use TrenItalia or buy a (relatively) cheap plane ticket to a nearby city or country. Within Verona, my favorite place to eat in Verona was Mood Sushi, an all-you-can-eat buffet that had the coolest ambience within it - water in the floor and floating tables! The best italian food I had, though was pizza at Pizza Bella Napoli near Piazza Bra, where the Verona Arena is located. Also, from late June to early August, the Opera Festival is going on so that's a must if studying during summer term II. We had plenty of free time to explore, while also balancing our schoolwork and making the most of the classes we were in. Within the program itself, we did plenty of day trips that were optional, but these were some of my favorite memories within the month so I absolutely recommend going on these day trips and going on the tours to get acclimated to the area! Overall, I learned so much both academically, met lifelong friends, and made some amazing unique memories! Every student should study abroad!

Had an incredible time making life long memories and friends. I came to this program just looking for a chance to see the world and study abroad. However through it I developed a love for the area, people, and the culture. The decision to study abroad and delay my graduation was one of the best decisions I think I’ve ever made. I got to explore the world around me and see more places and cultures than I would have ever been able to. The experiences I had and stories I can share now have forever changed my life and shaped my future goals. Can not wait to go back!

Having studied the Italian language for six years, it has always been a dream of mine to study abroad in Italy. Last summer I had the opportunity to travel to Verona for 6 weeks, and I am so happy that I went. It was truly so surreal walking down the picturesque and colorful streets for the first time and realizing that this was going to be my everyday walk to class. I met so many amazing people both within the program and locally, went on insane adventures, and made memories both outside and inside the classroom. This was an experience that I will never forget and will cherish for the rest of my life!

I have wanted to study abroad since middle school. I was dreaming of going to a bigger city in Spain being that I took Spanish in school. But when it came time to look at locations I decided that Verona had the most interesting classes to me. And who wouldn’t want to go to Italy. After signing up in October it was all I could think about I would daydream about how amazing everything would be and I was scared it was not going to reach my expectations. The experience did not only meet my expectations but it exceeded them. The friends and memories I made over those 5 weeks are people and adventures I will never forget. I have been home for about a month and it is still all I want to talk about. Most people in the program go in not knowing anyone and everyone wants to meet new people so it is super easy to meet people. In my group I ended up hanging out with of 9 of us 6 came in knowing no one and the other 3 were triplets. And being that Italy has so many train systems it is super easy to travel on weekends. Studying abroad is an amazing experience to travel, meet new friends, and learn more about yourself while becoming more independent. I would do anything to do it all over again!

Verona is an easy city to navigate and not a busy, overwhelming city. I believe this helped in actually seeing the city and living comfortable compared to tourists cities nearby. It helped with getting in touch with the culture and having an experience that is a personal learning experience. Verona is also close to other top destinations like Venice and Milan. I enjoyed taking solo day trips to get out of the familiarity of Verona and have a new perspective. I gained so much experience and learned qualities about myself that I wouldn't have learned if I did not step outside my comfort zone.

Verona was the perfect place for me to study abroad because I was exposed to the beautiful architecture of Italy while still being central to the rest of Europe. Verona is also a smaller city and provided amazing opportunities to meet locals and create a community. Whenever I would go out and about, I would run into someone I knew: yet, the city was big enough to have everything that I needed and more while having good options for transportation in and out of the city. lThe staff and our directors were friendly. Could not be more grateful for my experience.

I’ve been studying for a year and just started my second semester and this experience is something I will always be grateful for. So far I’ve traveled to 15 countries and counting and multiple cities across my host country. As cliche as it sounds, study abroad truly changes your life and helps you grow and change in ways that wouldn’t be possible or comfortable back at my home university. The friends and experiences I’ve made are unforgettable and I know I’ve made some life long friends and international connections.

Verona is beautiful and the school is located in a great area near the city center. Although the housing is a bit far from the school, I loved getting to bike, walk, or bus through the beautiful streets. The locals were very kind and my USAC group was amazing! Verona is the perfect size, and feels very safe. It is close to other places in Europe, we went to new cities every weekend! I’ve made life-long friends through this program, and would recommend to anyone looking for an affordable, yet amazing study abroad program!