Hello World,

July has just passed, one month done two more to go. Looking back on this month from the train ride back to Rome for the weekend, I have to thank all the friends I have made at the Universita per Stranieri who come from all over the world. All these individuals have made the transition easy for me and I hope I have done the same. From getting gelatos from all the local gelaterias, to listening to all the Jazz during the Umbria Jazz festival, to playing all those intense uno matches following the belgian rules and the nice conversations during our hourly 15 minute break. I have learned in this month alone more about myself, the world and Italy than I would have in a traditional classroom setting and I recommend myself and others thinking about doing a study abroad to do it be it summer or a year long.

Blog by Billeh Scego, Pre-Major, University for Foreigners Program in Perugia

Hello World,

It has only been three days into my stay in Italy and I already feel like part of the society. Thanks to my cousin who I am currently staying with in Rome before I leave to Perugia, I have learned how to take the bus and metro around the city. Stereo-typically Rome is known for having a slow transportation system but I have to disagree with this claim. I believe the whole point of travel is to live like a local so having the ability to interact with locals in a raw and natural state is always a moment to learn.

Not only is this moment to learn priceless but taking public transportation in Rome is cheap. Walk to your local corner store or the metro station and you can buy a ticket that allows you to use the bus and metro for 100 mins. This allowed me to get from cousin’s house in north Rome to the Colosseum numerous compared to taking a taxi which would have costed around 9 euros and I would have wasted a lot of time in traffic now that is highway robbery.