Why Italy?
I always knew that I wanted to study abroad somewhere, I just never had an idea as to where. I decided my third year into my undergraduate degree that I was going to make my dream a reality. I talked to a lot of people who had studied abroad in countries such as Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Spain, and Italy, and all of their experiences sounded wonderful. I went to a study abroad fair to look at a number of providers and came out with a stack of booklets about one foot high. After looking at all of my options, I finally chose Rome for the following reasons:
The Climate
I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota where there are extreme temperature differences. In the summer the temperature can get as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) and in the winter it can get as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit (-40 degrees Celsius). For this reason, I wanted to choose a country that had a relatively warm and constant climate. Don't get me wrong, I love the cold weather, but I really wanted to experience something different. I researched the climate of a few different countries and found that the weather experienced in Spain and Italy was what I was looking for.
The Culture
I had heard nothing but wonderful things about people from Italy before I chose where to study abroad. I was told that the people were very nice and laid back even though their driving was a little crazy. People told me that the food was the best in the world and that I would enjoy endless amounts of pizza, pasta, gelato, and wine. I wanted to study in a place that was different than the United States in almost every aspect. Life can get hectic back home and I was looking for a nice change of pace. Italy was the perfect place to go to for this!
The Cost
Ultimately the cost of the program was what settled my decision. When I was looking at studying abroad in London the tuition of the school I wanted to go to was more expensive than my home university and the pound was expensive in comparison to the US dollar. Tuition in Spain and Scotland was more reasonably priced, however attending John Cabot University was the best option financially. The tuition at JCU is lower than my home university which made studying abroad a lot less expensive than anticipated.