USAC Italy: Reggio Emilia-Education, Communication & Health

My study abroad program was an amazing experience! I really enjoyed making friends with locals and being immersed in the language so quickly. The extracurricular activities offered through the program were eye-opening, exciting, and gave me opportunities to experience the culture in ways I would not have on my own. The accommodations also exceeded my expectations and made the entire experience even more enjoyable. Overall, I’m very grateful for the experience and would definitely recommend the program to others!

I had the absolute best time while in Italy! I met so many nice people, ate the most amazing food, and traveled to nearby cities. My program coordinated many great field trips for our group to go on, including a castle, a cheese factory, and the Ferrari factory. I felt safe exploring and sightseeing, and loved being a part of the Italian culture! Such an incredible experience I will never forget! I am so glad I studied abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy!

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I've had an incredible time studying abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Every day I find myself in a new adventure, meeting new people, and immersing myself in the culture here. USAC has done an incredible job at making me feel safe, supported, and comfortable. Academically, I feel scaffolded to learn new information about the community and the Reggio Emilia approach, combining the perfect mix of theoretical and practical study. Socially, this community has been an amazing place, filled with weekly events, concerts, and just a welcoming town feeling in general. This has definitely been an experience of a lifetime.

The best part about Reggio Emilia is it is not super crowded with tourists. It’s a small city full of life where you can meet Italian locals and truly immerse yourself in the culture. I loved being able walk and get gelato whenever I wanted, then explored using easy access to bus transportation to the mall and movie theater and then to the train station too. The local cuisine is also phenomenal, erbazzone is devine and each Wednesday during the summer the piazza’s are full of energy with dancing, concerts and so much more. The planned field trips were amazing from trying balsamic vinegar to even exploring a castle there is something for everyone. The support from the program directors is excellent, they were always there for all my questions and made the program feel like home.

Studying abroad in Reggio Emilia, Italy was one of the greatest decisions I've ever made. Through this program, I met so many amazing people and explored many beautiful places that allowed me to fully immerse myself in the rich Italian culture in this area. Our program directors were so incredibly helpful, making us feel welcomed and supported throughout the entire experience. Study abroad will always be one of my favorite memories in college and an amazing experience I will always treasure and look back on.

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I decided to study abroad one day when I felt stuck in my college town. I was looking for something new and decided to look into it. That’s when I realized Italy would be a great fresh new start making new friends experiencing new culture trying new food and so on. I got the chance to redo the way I think and experience life and for that I’m forever grateful.

I have been abroad multiple times, but this time was obviously different. Living in a small town is what I loved because every single morning, you would see most of the same people, walk the same path, and see different things. What was special was that in Reggio Emilia, not a lot of locals spoke english, so you had to try to speak Italian. Once you saw them every day, they would know your order, and try to speak english to you and they loved seeing you. It was a great experience.

The Reggio Emilia program through USAC was such an amazing experience! The program advisors, were so helpful and were willing to help with anything. The professors were super knowledgeable and the workload was manageable. During this time I met so many amazing people and made life long connections!

While going abroad seemed very daunting the staff at USAC made my trip so smooth. I knew I could reach out to anyone at anytime and they would do their best to help me out. Everyone was super welcoming and provided friendly faces in a foreign country. I would do that semester over 100 times because of how amazing it was

My time in Reggio Emilia was genuinely the best. The apartment living forced me to really immerse myself in the language and culture. The friends I gained made the experience for me. We still talk because we just got that close through the program. The tight-knit structure of USAC was really everything I wanted and more.

I hold this study abroad experience in Reggio Emilia so so so close to my heart. I loved the town, fantastic food, friendly people, the program has really good staff. I loved meeting everyone in my program and around the town. I had the opportunity to travel a lot around Italy, you can do some great day trips from Reggio Emilia as well. 10/10 definitely recommend

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I hold this study abroad experience in Reggio Emilia so so so close to my heart. I loved the town, fantastic food, friendly people, the program has really good staff. I loved meeting everyone in my program and around the town. I had the opportunity to travel a lot around Italy, you can do some great day trips from Reggio Emilia as well. 10/10 definitely recommend

I studied in Reggio Emilia in Spring 2024. As a Child Education and Italian Studies double major, this program was extremely relevant to my studies. Besides the academics, the Reggio Emilia community was amazing, I made friends for life during my time abroad. Simona and Elena, the program directors, are super kind and helpful, they really cared about us and made me feel at home. This program was an experience of a lifetime, I traveled solo, as well as with friends, and became more confident in myself and in my capability to be independent! My American friends all lived together in apartments, while I lived with Italian students to strengthen my Italian speaking skills. I am still in touch with everyone I made connections with in Reggio Emilia, and I even have plans to see some of them this year! I highly recommend this program, I miss it everyday!

Studying abroad can sound very intimidating and a little bit scary, but if you're even considering it, DO IT!! I definitely had my doubts before choosing to study abroad; how would I afford it, where would I go, would I make friends, how would I navigate a whole new country alone?! But, I chose to do it and it was even better than I imagined! I lived in Reggio Emilia which is a smaller city in Italy and I think that was a great choice for me. It was a spot where not as many tourists went so it felt a little bit like home, as I am from a smaller town. But, I was still close to the bigger cities and I traveled there on the weekends. Studying abroad has changed how my outlook on life. I take time to enjoy life more and live a slower life. I am more focused on taking care of myself and spending time with the people I love rather than letting school and work consume me. Living in Italy was a big change for me because they were much more laid back and more focused on enjoying life and being your family and friends. I physically felt my stress levels decrease when I was there, even though I was still taking classes. I found the time to do schoolwork and go to class and still have plenty of time to hangout with my friends and travel. The experience has made me more confident, open-minded, and appreciative of the little things in life. So, like I said before, if you are thinking about studying abroad, just do it!! You won't regret it!

I had a great and humbling experience living in Italy for 5 months. I gained lifelong friends and a different perspective on life. The only negative aspect was not getting more informed about the rent situation. A lack of information was provided for everyone in my program which led to a negative financial position. Overall, I did not let that stop me from having a positive experience traveling the world, meeting new people, and having incredible food.

I was always interested in studying abroad and the life-changing experiences it would offer but wow, truly one of the most transformative experiences. Before my departure, I was hoping to immerse myself in a new culture, eat amazing pizza, and connect with people across the country but my time abroad brought me so much more. Going abroad, I learned how to navigate daily tasks and transportation, live in a foreign country, self-advocate, embrace the discomfort, and appreciate all the things I had waiting for me back home. Was it all easy and a breeze? No. It was hard to acclimate and learn the norms; however, I am so grateful for all of it because it has changed who I am today. Getting to travel and see a whole new world gave me a deeper appreciation for different cultures and the norms that come along with them. My time was full of laughs, amazement, and an eagerness to see more! The slight discomfort for a wide range of new skills and experiences is not even a question. Your time abroad can not be fit into a college course, they are valuable lived experiences that set you apart. Go abroad, go do it!

Spending a year abroad in Italy was one of the best experiences of my life. Experiencing a different culture, exploring a beautiful country, and making lifelong friends are just a few of the reasons why I fell in love with studying abroad. I highly recommend studying abroad for a year to anyone who is even slightly interested, provided you have the funds and means to do so. As a Child Development major, I was extremely grateful to witness firsthand how children learn using the Reggio Emilia Approach to Learning. The program also required us to take an Italian language class, which allowed us to immerse ourselves even more deeply into the culture. With the freedom to travel on weekends, I was able to visit 25 different cities, 8 different countries, and cross 5 items off my personal bucket list. I wouldn’t change anything about my experience living in Reggio Emilia, Italy, for a year-long program. If I had one piece of advice for anyone planning to study abroad, it would be this: Make every adventure, memory, and experience count.

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I have always wanted to explore a new country/culture and I knew studying abroad is one way to immerse myself. At first, I was hesitant about going abroad due to the cost, going to an unfamiliar place without friends and family, and the possibility of being "alone." However, making the decision to go abroad was the best things I could have done for myself. I was able to interact with the culture and people from Italy. USAC provided me with all of the necessary things to survive in this new county. I made bonds with the people in our program through orientation and the activities organized. With these new friendships, we were able to explore different regions of Italy and even other countries in Europe! If you are feeling nervous or scared, just know this is normal, but pushing yourself out of your comfort zone is the only way you will create memorable memories. I do not regret this one bit, matter of fact, I wish I could go back and experience it once more. Savor your time there, everything will go by so so quickly!!!

I spent five weeks in Reggio Emilia and loved every second! I fell in love with the city and the local community. I took Italian cooking, international education approaches, and intercultural communication. The professors were great, and I learned a lot. I loved the group trips, including a cheese factory tour, a balsamic vinegar cellar, and trip to Rimini and Bologna. The onsite program advisors were great and really cared about us! I loved traveling on the weekends, it was truly an adventure! I got to experience the authentic Italian lifestyle in Reggio as well as experience some of the bigger and more touristy areas on the weekends, I already want to go back!!

I truly could not imagine a better study abroad experience. From the moment I met my program advisors, Elena and Simona, I felt so welcomed and so safe into any situation. My program was so great at giving us all the possible tools we would possibly need for navigating life in Reggio Emilia and international travel. There were so many special experiences planned for us, such as visiting the parmesan cheese factory, the Ferrari museum, or touring cities such as Bologna and Modena. Communication regarding school and living situations was very clear and there were so many staff members on board to help us with the experience. Aside from the USAC program itself: it was an amazing and eye opening experience. I met so many new friends, got to travel internationally and experience wonderful new countries and cities, I expanded my perspective on our world, and most of all I miss having a cappuccino and Nutella croissants every single day!