Arcadia Italy

Written by Matteo Bellarasa, Program Assistant for the Arcadia Italy Center.

Students at Roma Tre University, our local partner, can attend our classes as our students can attend theirs. This environment generates what it really means cultural exchange. 

Although American and Italian universities utilize both a credit system, the Italian academic system in the universities is slightly different. Lessons can be different and evaluation system can include oral exams or for instance midterms are no mandatory and often are not available for the course.

We, Arcadia Italy Center, asked Valentina, a Roma Tre student who attended the “Framing Italy: Film Studies & Filmmaking in Rome” before and during the quarantine, to describe her experience.

1. Why did you choose to take a class at Arcadia University?

   I wanted to experience something new, meet new people, practice the language, and try a new way of studying what I like.

    

2. Have you found any differences between Roma Tre courses and Arcadia University ones? If yes can you describe them?

   I think they are different, that also depends on the fact that there are fewer people than an average Roma Tre course. We had day trips to meet the other guys, to visit something related to what we were studying and that never happens with university courses, we spent a day with everyone in the countryside, and with my course we have been to Cinecittà (Rome film studios, ed) and many other places related to movies in Rome. 

   During the lessons, we students are more active and we participate more than we usually do in Roma Tre classes, we have discussions with the professor, presentations, and we have weekly things to do, which it never happened to me before in university, but I think is a good thing. 

   The organizers of Arcadia University were very present if you needed anything, they would talk to you or replying your emails really fast.

3. You have decided to continue attend the course during the quarantine. Why?

   At first, I thought about quitting the course, but then I changed my mind. I made the decision also because of organization problems with my school year, with some of the laboratories there were cancelled and professors who have problems to do online classes, so I thought since we had this possibility I would follow the lessons online, and I really liked the course so I was very disappointed when normal lessons ended, but I also considered the fact that the professor was very willing to help us in his free time, with emails and calls, so even if we could not see him we could stay in touch with him if we had problems.

4. Would you suggest this experience to your peers?

   Absolutely yes, it has great courses, great professors, it’s different from what we usually experience, you’ll meet fantastic people and visit new things, and I personally think that this cinema course is one of the best courses I attempted since I started university.