Psychology majors studying abroad this semester share their experiences (Part 1 of a 3 part series)
Grace Wirein: Semester Abroad in Orvieto
My name is Grace Wirein and I am a sophomore/rising junior psychology major at Saint Anselm College, and I am from Dublin, New Hampshire. I’m studying for the semester in Orvieto, Italy through the Saint Anselm College Orvieto program. From the start of my time at college I knew I wanted to study abroad, but my country of choice remained undecided. After attending an info session for the Orvieto program and hearing about all the opportunities and great classes being offered, I knew I had to sign up. Italy had always been a country on my bucket list of destinations, and I was so happy to be given the chance to study and live in a different part of the world. The courses are Saint Anselm classes taught by Saint Anselm professors, and students live with peers from the college in apartments located in the city. One of the best things about living in Orvieto is the community and the friendly locals. Everything is in walking distance, and the streets and parks are beautiful. Every Thursday morning I go to the Farmer’s
Market in the Market Square right outside my apartment and buy fresh fruit and even clothes! And, the people are so friendly and welcoming, and are very patient with me even with the language barrier. I love going into my favorite café, getting one (sometimes two) espresso and just sitting/relaxing. This semester I am enrolled in Chiavi, Christian Spirituality, War and Culture in the Ancient World, and Italian Food Wine and Culture. Chiavi is a required course for everyone in the program where we participate in seminar on Mondays and then have field trip days on Wednesdays and Fridays. Chiavi also requires daily journal entries, so that ended up being a great way to document my travels and memories :). The field trips also correspond with what we’re learning in the classroom so it makes the lessons more engaging. One of my absolute favorite trips has been the pasta workshop where we got to spend the day at a local farm/restaurant, play with the cutest dogs, learn how to make pasta from scratch and prepare a spaghetti lunch.