{"id":2257,"date":"2012-03-16T10:00:44","date_gmt":"2012-03-16T15:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.studyabroad101.com\/?p=2257"},"modified":"2012-03-16T10:00:44","modified_gmt":"2012-03-16T15:00:44","slug":"live-it-learn-it-laugh","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.studyabroad101.com\/blog\/2012\/03\/live-it-learn-it-laugh\/","title":{"rendered":"Live it, Then Learn it, and Laugh in Between"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Business Fieldtrip to my workplace, Limoncello factory<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In the program I am in, the academics are actually quite a bit different than what I am used to at my home university.\u00a0 Forget busy \u00a0work, and forget long-term projects.\u00a0 Here everything is all about hands-on, intimate learning.\u00a0 The classes are extremely small, which I find to be beneficial.\u00a0 It allows us to take field trips and get more out of the class than we would if there were many more students.\u00a0For my International Business class as well as my Business in the European Union class, my professor organizes field trips and leads group discussions.<\/p>\n

Just last week we visited a travel agency in Sorrento and we were able to interview two representatives of the company!\u00a0 This week we went on a class trip to my workplace, a \u201cLimoncello\u201d manufacturing company, and I had the pleasure of answering my fellow classmates\u2019 questions with the help of my colleagues at work.\u00a0 In the past few weeks, we have also had some guest speakers come to my business classes to speak about topics such as Women in Business in Italy, the European Union, and the Economic Crisis.\u00a0 After every field trip and guest speaker visit, we must write an article on our experience and on what we have learned.\u00a0 It is a continuous process of hands-on learning followed by reinforcement through writing.<\/p>\n

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Business Class trip to Russo Travel<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Typical classes usually involve doing research for homework and having class discussions rather than lecture.\u00a0 For my Italian Literature course, I read out loud and work with my professor to understand the meaning of the text, so it is also more of a discussion-based class.\u00a0 My archaeology course is lecture based, but we also go on many field trips to archaeological sites which helps reinforce what we have learned.\u00a0 This different style of teaching and learning is very effective and I find that I am remembering more because it is such an active learning process that it is hard not to pay attention!<\/p>\n

The types of assignments, I find, are also more interesting.\u00a0 My Business in the EU class worked together to develop a SWOT analysis for the renovation of a busy marina in Sorrento.\u00a0 We took a class to visit the marina and observe the area and culture.\u00a0 Then we used what we observed to come up with a formal analysis complete with research.\u00a0 We presented our research findings to the architecture students, who are now using that information to design a new and improved marina to present to the Governor of Sorrento!<\/p>\n

For my Italian class, I do not have many formal assignments.\u00a0 However, I am often asked to compare the literature I am reading to modern day songs, films, and the like.\u00a0 It is really interesting to see how similar Petrarch\u2019s poems are, for example, to modern day movies.\u00a0 For archaeology, part of our assignment is to participate in the visits to archaeology sites.\u00a0 We visited Pompeii, and today we went to Torre Anunziata-Oplontis\u2014which interestingly could be the former Villa of Emperor Nero\u2019s second wife, Poppaea, hence its name Villa Poppaea. We had just discussed in class how differently the social classes lived in the Vesuvian population.\u00a0 However, I did not grasp the idea in its entirety until witnessing how big Villa Poppaea is compared to the common citizen\u2019s home\u2026and to think an emperor and his wife once lived there!<\/p>\n

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Villa Poppaea<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The grading is the same as the grading at my University.\u00a0 Although, in Italy they also have a letter grade E, which is slightly better than an F.\u00a0 Thankfully, I have not seen this letter on my own tests and papers.\u00a0 I have three professors.\u00a0 My business professor is American, and my Archaeology and Italian professors are Italian.\u00a0 My only class actually in Italian, however, is my Italian Literature class.\u00a0 I have found all of my professors to be laid back, while still maintaining enough structure to push their students to learn.\u00a0 What strikes me most is the excitement my professors bring to the class.\u00a0 They truly love teaching, and they truly love what <\/em>they are teaching, and it shows.\u00a0 This means so much to me because as a student, I learn best in a fun and enthusiastic environment.\u00a0 Especially while being taught in a different language, it is best to laugh it off, and do better next time!<\/p>\n

One more reason to go abroad is for this similar hands-on experience.\u00a0 When you are studying in a new country, within a new culture, you will learn so much more by taking what you learn in your new environment and applying it in your classes.\u00a0 It works both ways, and I hope all of you take the time to find out more about studying abroad.\u00a0 It is a priceless experience.<\/p>\n

Happy Learning!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Two of the photos are courtesy of my Business Professor, Diane Tuzzolino.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Submitted by Caitlin, Abroad101 Global Ambassador in Sorrento, Italy<\/address>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the program I am in, the academics are actually quite a bit different than what I am used to at my home university.\u00a0 Forget busy \u00a0work, and forget long-term projects.\u00a0 Here everything is all about hands-on, intimate learning.\u00a0 The classes are extremely small, which I find to be beneficial.\u00a0 It allows us to take […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[682],"class_list":["post-2257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-global-ambassador","author-pwpadmin"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t