Alexander Cooper is a Fay Jones School of Architecture undergrad studying both architecture and its history. In Spring 2022, Cooper studied abroad at the University of Arkansas’s Rome Center as part of a program which sought to allow architecture students to physically see the buildings they study. But, to Cooper, studying abroad became more than just a way to see some old buildings.
Early mornings, long flights, international customs, and bus shuttles are all things that I had done before, but the moment I stepped off the bus in the heart of Rome, everywhere I looked was something new. Packed sidewalks, busy streets, dense building blocks, the Vatican ten feet away?? It was nothing like I had ever known before. Gradually over the next week, I learned the essentials of what I needed to survive in Italy: a grocery store, bus stations, and a place to get a nice hot cappuccino.
Throughout the semester, the most frequently encountered barrier was language, but there were enough people that spoke English that I could get by while learning Italian in school. Other than that, there was not really culture shock for me, I was ready and open to diving headfirst into Italian culture from the second I got there. Everything was new; everything was fascinating; everything was different; and I loved every single moment of it.
For us, Rome is the treasure chest of all things architecture; half of the buildings we studied in Fayetteville were in Rome! I walked by the Vatican on my way to school every day. Are you serious?! There was no shortage of information on all things Roman as I took a wider spectrum of classes including language, culture, architectural and art history, and design. Each of these classes revealed a different part of the city that became my home for 5 months. Being able to live in a culture so different from my own affirmed my own desires to move beyond the borders of the U.S. for my professional career.
The structure of the course schedule was different than that of Fayetteville as well. We had one day of in-class lectures; then, each of the following days included a “site visit” meaning that class was conducted out of the classroom, IN the city. We visited significant monuments, churches, ruins, and other sites which I found more interactive than seeing it on a classroom monitor. Class occurred four days a week rather than five allowing us to travel and explore independently. By using this to my advantage, I was able to explore the city at my own pace in conjunction with that of the curriculum. Furthermore, part of the required curriculum involved visits to monuments within the city as well as day trips to towns outside of Rome. My class lineup was designed to give me the most holistic, well-rounded experience of Italy.
The city taught me how to design for living in the kind of dense urban center that we just don’t have in the states, as well as broader urban building and public space planning. Beyond the classroom, I took Italian cooking and dessert classes as well as art and political seminars provided by the Rome Center. It delighted me to take the Italian recipes and skills I learned back to my own kitchen to practice and refine. I learned to speak Italian more colloquially, dress more formally, enjoy a cup of coffee, and navigate a labyrinthian city by its unique features and landmarks. All of this just by assimilating into the culture I found myself living in.
Being able to go to a coffee shop every day and order a cappuccino speaking Italian is a simple experience I will always remember and cherish. The coffee was delicious wherever I went, and so was the food. I took in as much as I could manage, and it still wasn’t enough. If I had any advice for those studying abroad it would be to reach out with both hands and embrace all the culture has to offer. Make new habits, walk the streets, taste new things, learn new skills, soak it all in. It will change your life and the way that you go about living it.
Although I had access to all of Europe, I chose to stay in Italy and visit different areas, refining my impression of the culture. I went to the north and southeast coasts, the center and other towns closer to Rome proper. I will never forget how clear the water of the Mediterranean was, and I found myself going back every chance that I had. Soak it all in, it will change your life. It certainly changed mine.
Grazie, Roma, I will see you again.