Classrooms to Coastlines
When I first decided to study abroad, I pictured travel, good food, and maybe a little bit of studying on the side. What I didn’t expect was how much Sorrento would genuinely feel like home.
As a student at the Sant’Anna Institute this fall, I can now say that choosing to study abroad was the best decision I’ve ever made.
Now that I’ve settled into the abroad routine, let’s dive into a few tips for keeping a healthy daily balance, managing stress, and making the most of your semester in Sorrento.
Image by author
Find Your Balance
Identify Your Study Abroad Priorities: It’s important to leave room for what you’re most excited about. Whether it’s traveling around different countries in Europe, experiencing local cultures, or academic experiences.
Royal Palace of Caserta: Image taken by author
Time Management: Navigating coursework and busy travel weeks can be stressful, so find a system that works for you. Utilize spreadsheets, online calendars, or written planners to stay organized.
Leave Room for Downtime: Your semester will fly by, so make sure to schedule time for yourself. Trust me, long travel days can be exhausting so taking breaks to rest and recharge to stay balanced and avoid burnout.
Maximizing Home Base: Take the time to experience daily life in your home base. Getting to know the locals and settling into everyday life in Sorrento makes the experience feel real. Even with the smallest additions into your routine like chatting with shop owners, and finding your favorite spots.
My biggest recommendation is to connect with staff and professors! They are always happy to give advice, support, and tips that make you feel right at home.
2. Inside Sant’Anna
Make the Most of Program Offerings: Clubs and campus activities have been the most underrated hidden gems this semester. From cooking classes and sunset yoga to soccer with the locals, these experiences have been a great way to meet new people.
Along with on-campus activities, Sant’Anna has offered trips to the stunning Bagni Regina Giovanna, The Royal Palace of Caserta, and other course-related excursions that tie directly into our lessons.
So far, as part of a History and Culture of Italian Food course, I’ve visited the Pastificio Ducato di Amalfi, with an inside look at their history, factory, and products with the best part being a tasting of three local dishes popular from the region.
Along with these, students can also take part in service learning within the local Sorrento community, leadership roles, and internship opportunities across different majors.
Travel Made Easy: Planning travels are stressful enough, as exciting as it is, it's extremely time consuming. Thankfully, listed on our student app, there are multiple different recommendations of transportation around sorrento. Making adjusting to constant weekend traveling much easier to navigate.
At The Edge, we understand the thrill and pressure of navigating student life abroad. And as cliché as it sounds, enjoy every second of it!
Thinking about studying in Sorrento?
Let us know @theedgemag!