Studying abroad at an Italian school, there are many similarities and differences within my academics and classes.

A picture looking down on the Forum. The large area at the bottom is the House of the Vestal Virgins.

A picture of the Forum from above.

First off, a major similarity is the fact all of my teachers and other students speak English. Though almost everyone that goes to school at John Cabot University speaks Italian as their first language, they also fluently speak English. This makes it much easier to learn. Another major similarity is the grading policies. In my class, it is the same grading scale compared to mine at Clemson University. My class also has a midterm, a final, and a research paper throughout the course.

A quick coffee break with a view!

A difference between my academics at home, and in Italy is the location of my class. The class I am currently taking abroad is an Art History class focused on Ancient Rome and its Monuments. My class does not meet in a classroom. Instead we meet “on site”, making each meeting around 4 hours, but only twice a week. I like how we go to the monuments and learn more about them when we are able to look at it and explore the site. It makes the history much easier to grasp. I can really imagine what life was like back in ancient Rome.

Paintings from the temporary exhibit of Santa Maria Antiqua. A landslide hit the church in the 800’s, leaving the inside completely preserved. This concept is very similar to that of Pompeii!

More paintings from inside the church. You can see the different levels of paintings from different time periods!

I am really enjoying taking this Ancient Rome and its Monuments class. It helps me to understand the culture of Rome and how it evolved to what it is now. Being able to study this subject in Italy has been a great experience for me. I really enjoy seeing a variety of different historical places and learning about what happened there over time. My favorite part about this is that I can go home and share my experiences with my friends, so they too can learn about these places.

Outside the Capitoline Muesem, studying the statues and architecture.

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Natalie is a current student at Clemson University studying at John Cabot University in Italy during the Summer 2016 term.