In the last week of classes, we spent two days in Bologna and three days in Turin. This week was a great way to conclude MECH 203, where we learned very useful tools and approaches when designing something within SolidWorks. Overall, I really enjoyed MECH 203 because of its importance within the realm of mechanical engineering, but also because I believe it is something useful to know, bridging the gap between sheer concepts and tangible designs.
For the three days we spent in Turin, we didn’t have enough time to truly explore and enjoy the city; however, from the glimpses of what we were able to see, I really enjoyed Turin for its relaxed and cheap characteristics. Turin was definitely one of my favorite cities.
I am extremely blessed that I was able to participate in this study abroad program in Bologna. It was well worth it! I was able to enhance my understanding of important topics as an engineer, and cross off classes for my major and minor requirements. If I could do anything differently, I would have definitely planned more day trips after classes, due to the nature of Italy’s geography and public transport, commuting from one city to the next is insanely simple and cheap (and nine out of ten times on time). With Bologna being placed in the center of the northern part of the country, traveling to neighboring cities on a time crunch was possible and worth it. For anyone who plans to do this program in the future or even travel to Italy, I recommend to do the basic things like visit Venice, Milan, Rome and the obvious tourist attractions, but I suggest to also devote time to explore these smaller cities dispersed throughout Italy, where each city has it’s own distinct culture, cuisine and architecture. One final thing, if you visit Italy, you HAVE to explore the Dolomites. It was the best hiking experience I have ever had, and my favorite trip during this program. If you are able to do this program and dedicate one month of your summer, DO IT!