Mornings with Vincenzo

As this is a summer semester in Rome, I am only taking two courses during my time here. My first class, Human Trafficking and Contemporary Slavery, is taught Monday through Thursday and begins at 11am. My second class, Ancient Rome and Its Monuments, is taught Tuesdays and Thursdays but lasts from 2pm-6pm. John Cabot does not host classes on Fridays (which is convenient for travelling).

On a typical morning, I wake up around 9am and get ready for the day. I then take my required readings that will be discussed in class to a small café on the corner of the road where the school is. The barista, Vincenzo, knows me and my order. I take a cappuccino and we talk for a while, then I sit outside as I finish up last minute classwork. When I’m finished, I go to my first class of the day. On days that I do not have both classes, I spend my afternoons with other students exploring Rome and visiting museums and monuments throughout the city. Rome is very historic and you’ll never get bored in the city and adventuring through the surrounding neighborhoods. Having time on weekdays to visit Rome is perfect because it frees up weekends for additional traveling. On days that I have a second class, I then prepare to meet my class at the location of the day. My Ancient Rome class is considered ‘on-site.’ This means that we do not meet in a classroom setting, but our meeting points are scattered about the city and differ day to day.

At night, I usually grab dinner with classmates or prepare a meal in the residence. During summers in Rome the city sets up tents along the Tiber River that are open until very late. Here there are shops and restaurants, and some nice bars as well. We usually grab a bite to eat and a drink by the riverside or at the local pizza hotspot if we are in a hurry. The rest of the night is spent preparing for class and finishing assignments. It is ideal to complete as much classwork as possible throughout the week, as to relieve the burden when travelling on weekends.