The Future Passes Here: Il futuro e passato qui

Salve! I’m now a few weeks into my studies, trying to establish a routine and exploring everything this city has to offer (food and wine included!). Il futuro e passato qui (the future passes here) is the motto of my university, Sapienza University of Rome, and given that it was founded in 1303, that’s a pretty fitting school motto.

This campus is pretty incredible in terms of its beauty and history, the buildings are gorgeous and stately and the fact that the university museum houses sculptures from 200BCE and forward still blows my mind. This really must’ve been how the field mouse felt when he went to the big city!

Classes here are so different by comparison to my undergrad back in the states; classes are all 3 hour long lectures, no homework or tests are given and your entire grade is based on your final (which is oral, by the way). It’l be interesting to see how I do with this because this is SO different from the usual structure of classes back home…but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised over lack of structure in this country anymore.

It’s been really interesting to see everyone’s base of general knowledge throughout all of my classes. My program has students from all over the world, which means different curriculums, different focuses, and different methods of teaching and learning. I truly did not think I’d be as well of as I actually am — given my schooling was in the U.S. and all our education is very focused on America’s perspective, it didn’t end up being as bad as I thought.

At least not having homework every night, tests to study for or papers to write gives me more time to sightsee and drink wine!

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Alina