Corso Singolo- Roma Tre!

One of the opportunities that attracted me to the IES Abroad Rome Center was the ability to participate in Corsi Singoli. These classes at local universities are available to all students with varying levels of language proficiency; some are taught in English, like one at the Academy of Costume and Fashion, or in Italian at RUFA (Rome University of Fine Arts) and Roma Tre. I am very passionate about my Italian studies and have taken two years of classes at my home institution, along with supplementary practice in the form of music, movies, filling my feed with Italian language news, etc. Once my participation in the IES Abroad Rome program was confirmed, my Italian practice became aimed at qualifying for a class at Roma Tre. Roma Tre is one of the largest public universities in the city and allows IES Abroad students with a high enough language proficiency to join a course there. Enrolling in one of these classes was frustrating; many interesting course offerings were unavailable or didn't fit my preexisting IES Abroad class schedule. However, with the help of the fantastic academic coordinators at IES Abroad, I finally found a course that worked with my schedule. And, because it was taught entirely in Italian, the credit will count towards my Italian minor back at Fordham. 

Although excited about this immersive opportunity, I began to doubt myself leading up to the class. I feared I wouldn't understand a single thing, that I would be aggressively humbled, and that I was overestimating my skills. However, the experience was one of the most exciting and fulfilling of my semester abroad. 

Roma Tre's campus is located in Garbatella in the south of Rome. My commute from Prati was about 40 minutes, and my class was at 8 in the morning every Tuesday. It was a pain to wake up so early and take the Metro, half awake, to class each week. However, I was always excited to go. I'm sure other course options would have been more strenuous, but mine was very relaxed, informative, and welcoming. The course title was Territori e Organizzazione Teatrale, or Theatrical Territories and Organization. My professor was very kind and accommodating; classes consisted of engaging lectures about urban planning concerning theater and its cultural implications. I was proud to understand about 80% of what he was saying, and my classmates were always willing to clarify things. Most of the information revolved around European cities, which was new and engaging. We sometimes spoke about the United States, and I became the resident expert. I felt very appreciated and welcomed in the class. Best case scenario. Unfortunately, I couldn't chat with my classmates too much as I always had to beeline back to IES Abroad after class for my Rome as a Living Museum lecture. However, now that finals are over, I'll be able to relax after my last class there this week, and I hope my peers will join me for a coffee. They've all been welcoming and kind, and I'd love to chat with them. Talking with locals is one of the most exciting and informative ways to feel connected to the city, and I'm grateful to Roma Tre for allowing me to be immersed in its environment.

I'm also grateful that my class was manageable. I'm sure that a math or science department student would have experienced more stress during a corso singolo than I did; I can barely do math in English, and I can't imagine it in Italian. In this very theoretical and artistic class, I just had to listen and contemplate the information and, for my final project, make a pitch for a theatrical event. This was a very enjoyable final. I made a proposal incorporating my IES Abroad studies on the history of Italian film; I pitched a film festival featuring Italian cinema in Manhattan's Little Italy. I included some of the neighborhood's history and constructed the festival to revive the cultural authenticity of a now very touristy area. Although the Roma Tre course continues into January, I had to turn in the project in accordance with the IES Abroad final exams. My professor was accommodating with these specifications, and I got a great score on my final project. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to take a class at an authentic Italian university, and it improved my confidence in my language skills. If you are serious about learning your target language, immersive experiences like this one are essential. I hope you will overcome the nervousness I experienced to take advantage of a unique opportunity. Thanks again to the academic staff at both IES Abroad and Roma Tre!

Ciao, happy studying! 
Ellie