Penn Abroad Ambassador Victoria Rosa

Programs:

• SA: Bologna Consortial Studies Program

Ask me about...

• Deciding what program is right for you.

• The pros/cons of program size (BCSP is around 30 students).

• Making friends abroad.

My Experience:

I originally started my time at Penn as a Romance languages major concentrating in French and Spanish. After my freshman year, I realized I wanted to switch over from Spanish to Italian, but I had no prior experience learning the language. I decided to go to Bologna to further improve my Italian skills and successfully complete the Italian portion of my major. Bologna was the perfect city in Italy to study abroad. Many students envision going to Rome or Florence or even Milan to study abroad and Bologna is overlooked. However, Bologna is the perfect Italian city because it has less tourists and it is a university city, heavily populated by young Italians. Being in Bologna having to actually speak Italian where I went helped me accomplish my academic and personal goals. 

Other Highlights:

• Making lifelong friendships with people I wouldn't have met if I hadn't studied abroad!

• Building a relationship with the program director and student advisor.

• Being surrounded by a student community. 

• Visiting major Italian cities near Bologna.