Italy: Viterbo - Intensive Italian Language, History, and the Arts

I absolutely loved my program and I am so happy I chose it. My university offers a number of programs in Italy to choose from, but the USAC: Viterbo program had the best of everything Italy had to offer. It's not a huge city full of tourists, so we had an authentic experience away from massive tourist towns like Rome. The USAC staff on-site were wonderful. They helped us with everything we needed and were incredibly friendly. I loved the selection of classes and the fact that we could go on field trips to see what we were learning about in person. There are so many beautiful places around Viterbo to visit, we always had something to do and were never bored. Viterbo is a lovely city with an amazing history, lovely city center, and great social scene. The locals were friendly and we made a lot of friends with the other university students. The city is a perfect place to study in Italy and have the best experience possible.

This program was incredible, and life changing in ways that I had never expected. I took the intensive Italian language track 1, and drawing and painting Viterbo. Both of my professors were extraordinary people, and educators. I got tons of 1 on 1 feedback from them, and they cared about me enough to notice when I was withdrawing a bit in class because of homesickness. I learned an incredible amount of Italian, and although I did not leave feeling as if I had become part of the Italian community (any self-aware person will come to the realization that it's impossible to become fully integrated into a culture you have only known for 4 months), I met incredible people, who gave me a whole new faith in all the people around me. I came back to America with a new intrigue in my peers, and a willingness and desire to listen to other's stories. This is such an eye opening program if you let it be, and get past all the traps of falling back into your own comfortable culture while you're there! Thank you so much to my professors, family, and friends who were with me during this formative time in my life!

This was my first experience in Europe and it was amazing. I loved meeting students from both Italy and across the US. It was a memorable experience that gave me perspective when I met new people from different cultures. Learning Italian in the country where I could practice it made the trip both challenging and fun. I hope to travel back to Viterbo, Italy again to visit friends and have the experience of living abroad once again.

What makes living in Viterbo unique? Well, lets start with it's not well known. And then let's get a kick out of telling people I've lived in a little medieval city in Italy for 9 months and haven't stopped going back there since. I love watching people's eyes widen when I tell them that, and then of course I immediately I start looking for flights to Rome. I think this is one of the things about studying abroad and living in a place like Viterbo; you can't get enough of it.

You all need to know that you're going to fall in love, and I don't mean with an Italian boy like I did (unless that happens to you, I support you!), but you're going to find your self falling in love with another way of life. You will learn to adapt well to their cultural hours, festivities, eating habits, pisolini (naps), and gelato eating so rapidly that when it's time to leave, you've acquired more culture shock going home than when you arrived in Viterbo. I would say, be prepared for some unexpected feelings going home. I couldn't express more literally that my life has taken a full 360 in almost every way.

Let's move on to some serious stuff though; academics! I personally had a great academic experience studying in Viterbo. The courses offered by USAC lean more toward liberal science, art, and history, but of course they do. I mean look at the place! Viterbo is so rich in history, beauty, art, and love. My course load, however, was not as packed as others, so I had more free time to go away on the weekends, which I didn't do much because I enjoyed spending time in Viterbo, near by cities, and Italy in general. Yet, the workload can be challenging, which is a good thing! I know some students had their personal issues with professors and the way they teach and blah blah, but you got to make it work, and you will.
To sum up, it's completely manageable studying in Viterbo, being academically challenged, and fitting in you're travelling and fun all at the same time.

Tips:

1. Listen and learn the language. "La lingua Italiana sia bellissima!" Most of the young generation speak little English, with some cute grammar mistakes, but the older Italian man who owns the local printing shop down the street and who loves to talk you ear off doesn't know what you're talking about.

2. You will be stared at. Don't take this personally, all Italian's stare and it's what makes them intimating, but in a beautiful way (can I say that?). And if at first they don't smile, not to worry, they'll come around and notice. It took me about a week to get the barista at Happiness Cafe to smile at me every time I walked by.

3. Localize yourself and get in with the locals. Some people are so shocked that I could speak Italian pretty fluently after a semester and that's because I not only studied the language to the core, but I spent 80% of my days speaking it. I traveled mostly to Italian cities and if not I was in the center of Viterbo chit-chatting it up with everyone I could. I mean, I heard Sicilian and some Italian growing up, but never truly picked it up. So, I spent most of my time hanging out with the local Italian students and Viterbesi. It's fun, honestly, and localizing yourself is worth while; people start to know who you are and want to hang out. I got friends all over the place now. I think I sent more graduation announcements to Italy than in California.

4. Food tip: MANGIA! (EAT, obviously). And find a cute Italian boy, or girl, to make you Carbonara like I did. Also take all food, cuisine, and cooking courses that USAC offers. The cuisine exam is a joke because there's so much information for a multiple choice, but you will pass I promise and it's so wonderful tasting wines and eating cheeses in class!

Attending USAC Viterbo for my junior year of college was by far the best decision of my college experience. The on-site staff are incredible--knowledgeable, helpful, caring, and always ready to go out of their way to help make this the best experience possible. The housing is lovely, the field trips are enriching and well planned, and Viterbo will feel like home sooner than you ever thought possible. I made friends here that I will have for the rest of my life and I have never felt more safe than I did walking through these medieval walls. You will never regret attending this program and all of the incredible memories made here.

Italy is perhaps my favorite country right now. The country, language, and culture are just so beautiful. This program did not offer any courses in my major but I chose Viterbo becuase I love history. Due to it's location, this is a great place to study abroad if you like history and learning about more of the lesser known facts about Italy.
The staff was great and USAC really cares about you as a student and making sure you have a safe enjoyable experience.

I studied in Viterbo for a semester in college, and wish I had stayed for the whole year. The USAC program director Stefano was incredible and ran a very strong program. The courses were interesting and relevant, and there were special arrangements made to take additional courses at a neighboring university, if you were motivated to do so. When I first started the semester, I was living in a dorm but really wanted to live with Italian students. I made some Italian friends who needed a roommate, and Stefano and the USAC team were very supportive in helping me change my accommodations. In my opinion, they went above and beyond (could have very easily told me no) to make sure I was happy with my living situation. This ended up defining my study abroad experience in an extremely positive way. My roomies welcomed me into their lives, introduced me to their friends, and included me in nightly family dinners -- which were to die for! My Italian improved quickly and I learned so much about Italian culture from that immersion. The town itself was very safe and charming. Each evening the town would do a passeggiata, where everyone would walk the central street in their best clothes “to see and been seen” on the town. The locals were very friendly, and since it was a smaller town they didn’t speak English- forcing study abroad students to implement their language skills out of the classroom. The friends that I made (both the Italians and Americans) are still very much a part of my life today, and I am forever grateful for the time spent in Viterbo and the role Stefano + the team played in inspiring that experience!

Grazie mille ragazzi :)

I loved Viterbo! It is such a cool city and it's nice to see the medieval history along with the modern twist. It was such a fun nightlife and the locals are great. Stefano and his staff are so helpful and I miss them like crazy. Just go, you will definitely not regret it!