Growing up, we were fortunate enough to travel far and wide as a family, and this included going to Italy once when I was pretty little. I remember bits and pieces from this trip, some of the highlights including seeing the Colosseum at night and getting car sick on the way to Pisa. From a young age, I developed a need to travel and experience the world. My mom had the same need and always told me her biggest regret in college was never studying abroad.
Going into college, I didn’t think I was able to study abroad. There were so many excuses I made up for myself: I didn’t want to miss a whole semester, I didn’t think they would have the right classes, or I was scared to go by myself. But when I heard about CIMBA, I couldn’t get the program out of my head. The opportunity to study abroad with business classes, other Iowa and college students, and during the summer was so appealing to me. After going back and forth for a year, I made my decision in Fall, 2024. This summer I am studying in Italy.
That decision was one of the best decisions I have made in my college career. Going into the program, I did not know how much I would grow, not only academically, but also as a person. While studying abroad, you are constantly faced with difficult choices and decisions. Whether it be where you are travelling that weekend, how you are getting around, or where you are going to stay, you have to ask yourself what the best option is for you and what are the consequences of your actions. Now I get it, this seems intense! And in some ways, it totally is. But life throws all sorts of decisions at you, and studying abroad has assured me that I will be able to remain calm and handle these situations with confidence.
Now, the business student in me also took into consideration how this could help me in my career. Since the program is during the summer, I was not able to get a marketing internship. I found myself wondering, what would I talk about when interviewing for a Summer 2026 internship? I now know I didn’t have to be worried. The confidence and experience I have gained are invaluable and cannot be found in any other setting. I will be able to tell employers about experiences where I worked well under pressure, how I handled a situation that didn’t go according to plan, how I am open and eager to learn new things, and how I work well with others from different backgrounds. Studying abroad offers you a great way to get hands-on learning in important career skills outside of a job or class setting, while also learning more about these topics in a classroom. Not many people can say they took International Marketing internationally!
And of course, last but certainly not least, the connections and friendships I have made are the most invaluable part of the program. I loved meeting people from the University of Iowa as well as other schools. I can’t wait to get back to campus and meet up with the people I met in Italy. We have already been planning game nights, tailgates, and study dates. I also hope to keep in touch with my friends from other schools like the University of Kansas and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Both of my professors were incredibly engaging and took the time to get to know the students. I am not even a finance major, but my Intro to Financial Management professor knew my name by the end of the session. I could go on and on about all the amazing personal benefits
that studying abroad has given me, but what makes the program truly special are all the amazing people involved.
I want to give a huge thank you to the amazing CIMBA staff, professors, and friends for making this experience the best four weeks of my life. If you are thinking about studying abroad, my best advice to you is just do it. You will not regret it!
Arrivederci!
Sophia