Andrea Rocha

As a civil engineering student, I really wanted to make the most of the humanities education available to me, and there was truly no better way to immerse myself in the rich world of Roman art and architecture than being literally surrounded by it. I was able to step away from complicated equations for a while and gain a surprisingly deep appreciation for the history of ancient Rome and Italian art history. During high school I was able to visit France and Spain for ten days, and it was a lot of fun, but spending the summer in Italy was much more meaningful because it allowed me to better immerse myself in a culture completely different than mine and I was able to learn so much about Rome’s historical significance.

An interesting cultural experience was getting used to the crazy traffic and the aggressive way people drive in Rome. With very narrow streets, vespas speeding everywhere, and no rules being followed, it was completely different than the driving environment here in the U.S. At first I was completely shocked by the chaotic nature of the streets, but I soon began to see it as a normal part of living in Rome.

I was most concerned about safely traveling around Rome, especially since all of our lectures were on-site, but I was usually able to travel with other students and the study center staff was very helpful in introducing and guiding us in using public transportation around the city.

A typical day required planning the night before for getting to the onsite location for the next day’s class on time, getting up in the morning and going to class, usually by tram, which means crossing the Tiber and passing by the beautiful Piazza Venezia almost every day. After that, I would either visit the amazing sites of Rome or study at the accent study center, and I always made time for gelato! I was also able to visit other beautiful Italian cities on the weekends, like Venice and Florence.

I took a class on the history of ancient Rome called "Ancient Romans at Work and Play" and another one on the Italian villas of the Renaissance called, "On Vacation with the Popes," which focused on art history and architecture. I remember learning about ancient Rome in high school and having no interest in the subject at all but going to on site lectures every day and listening to my extremely passionate and knowledgeable professors made both classes incredibly interesting. I recommend both of these courses to students going to Rome in the summer because this type of learning experience is truly incomparable. I haven't taken many humanities classes at Berkeley, but these courses did require a substantial amount of studying and preparation for assignments and exams.

One of the most memorable aspects was seeing how dedicated and passionate our professors were; they were so enthusiastic about each class and so happy to teach us every day. I was really surprised at how they were able to remain so enthusiastic even when we were all outside in the heat. I was not expecting to gain such an appreciation for historical art and monuments, and now I am more interested in learning about the history of important buildings and paintings instead of admiring them just for their beauty on the surface.

Studying abroad in Rome helped me learn to adapt to different surroundings and be more open to new experiences. I also felt more independent, especially after learning how to use Rome’s public transportation system, which was very useful. Before leaving for Italy, I rarely used the public transportation here, but after a few weeks in Rome I was using trams, buses, trains, and even the metro.

I would say it's important to consider the heat when travelling to Italy in the summer; if you can’t stand high temperatures, then I would travel to Rome in the fall or spring semester if possible. The heat and humidity can be overwhelming at times, but the overall experience is still very rewarding and Rome is such a historically rich and meaningful city that people should visit at least once in their lifetime.