Since I have been here in January, I have not only been immersed in the Italian culture and way of life, but I have also realized the culture of the Italian way of education. Basically, the biggest difference between college in America and here is the laid-back culture of the classes and professors. I am very rarely assigned homework, except for reading, and have had two presentations and three papers, all between mid-terms and finals. I don't think it has anything to do with the fact that this is a study abroad program because Lorenzo de 'Medici is for Italian students as well. This being said, I have had one really amazing professor, one hilarious/clueless professor, and one rude professor.
Cecilia Bergonzini is my Italian Renaissance and Civilization teacher, as well as my teacher for Introduction to Italian Philosophy. She is an extremely smart woman, who actually lives down the street from us. We see her often when she is walking with her children or husband. Cecilia is the least laid-back professor I have here. I remember on our first day of class, I was extremely intimidated by her because she is obviously a very motivated woman who intends for us to learn and only learn. I not only thoroughly enjoy her lectures, but I look forward to actually going to her classes everyday. She amazes me - she amazes all of us because she is so incredibly smart. If we have a question, she knows every answer. She doesn't skip any detail whatsoever in a lecture. Her mid-terms were hard, but I still got an A on them ... nevertheless, I am a bit nervous for her finals. Cecilia learned English by living in Ireland for several years, so she has a big of an Irish accent. All of this being said, Cecilia is definitely one of my best professors I have had in college... which is very hard to say. I just can't put into words how amazing of a teacher she has been and how much I have learned from her.
Rosella is my Italian teacher ... and I am not much a fan of hers. And I am pretty sure she is not much a fan of me either just because of the fight I gave her about my mid-term composition. She is my rude teacher... but she is only rude to me. Our Italian class is too laid back - I wish that the curriculum was a little more intense because I don't think I have learned much Italian from her. I have learned all of my Italian from the pre-session with my teacher, Francesca (who was amazing!), and from my interactions on the street. It is amazing how much I have learned by just immersing myself in the conversations on the streets. I hate it when I try to speak Italian to someone, and they speak English right back to me because I obviously am not Italian... nevertheless, I continue to speak Italian to them so I can practice. These Italians are just too impatient.
Stefano, Stefano, Stefano. There is so much to say about him. Stefano is our Introduction to Italian Literature professor. We are supposed to study Dante, Petrarch and Bocaccio during this class, but we have yet to get to Bocaccio and the Decameron in the next three classes. He is the absolute most laid back professor/person I have ever seen. He often tells us he is in a very "Caribbean mood" and doesn't want to do much that day. He gives us so much entertainment because of how clueless and airheaded he is. We don't do anything in class except listen to him talk about Dante or Petrarch (most of the time it's Dante). He doesn't remember what we did on the previous class, so he often repeats himself. I have still learned a lot from this class because of our mid-terms... he gave us five essay topics to prepare for the mid-term and that was the exam, haha. We have a paper due for his class on Thursday and he has told us it can be about absolutely anything - it doesn't even have to be literature related. He also told us that he is not one of the "famous teachers who checks if the papers are plagiarized", while he also told us that we have to have a bibliography but he does not require we read any books or research for the paper... oh and he said he is going to probably make up our grades. If he wasn't so funny and if he didn't give us so much entertainment, I would hate this class... but we will truly miss Stefano and his clueless, funny self. He is also the leader of all of the LdM program trips, and he just makes them much more fun and entertaining because of his personality. We have all found ourselves quoting Stefano at any given moment, so we took it upon ourselves to write down the funniest Stefano Moments we have had in literature class or on one of the field trips... and we have only done this for ourselves so we can always remember him and to give ourselves a good laugh when we want it. I have recorded them below... they are all pretty much funny only if you were there, and I am laughing while I type out each one.
Cecilia Bergonzini is my Italian Renaissance and Civilization teacher, as well as my teacher for Introduction to Italian Philosophy. She is an extremely smart woman, who actually lives down the street from us. We see her often when she is walking with her children or husband. Cecilia is the least laid-back professor I have here. I remember on our first day of class, I was extremely intimidated by her because she is obviously a very motivated woman who intends for us to learn and only learn. I not only thoroughly enjoy her lectures, but I look forward to actually going to her classes everyday. She amazes me - she amazes all of us because she is so incredibly smart. If we have a question, she knows every answer. She doesn't skip any detail whatsoever in a lecture. Her mid-terms were hard, but I still got an A on them ... nevertheless, I am a bit nervous for her finals. Cecilia learned English by living in Ireland for several years, so she has a big of an Irish accent. All of this being said, Cecilia is definitely one of my best professors I have had in college... which is very hard to say. I just can't put into words how amazing of a teacher she has been and how much I have learned from her.
Rosella is my Italian teacher ... and I am not much a fan of hers. And I am pretty sure she is not much a fan of me either just because of the fight I gave her about my mid-term composition. She is my rude teacher... but she is only rude to me. Our Italian class is too laid back - I wish that the curriculum was a little more intense because I don't think I have learned much Italian from her. I have learned all of my Italian from the pre-session with my teacher, Francesca (who was amazing!), and from my interactions on the street. It is amazing how much I have learned by just immersing myself in the conversations on the streets. I hate it when I try to speak Italian to someone, and they speak English right back to me because I obviously am not Italian... nevertheless, I continue to speak Italian to them so I can practice. These Italians are just too impatient.
Stefano, Stefano, Stefano. There is so much to say about him. Stefano is our Introduction to Italian Literature professor. We are supposed to study Dante, Petrarch and Bocaccio during this class, but we have yet to get to Bocaccio and the Decameron in the next three classes. He is the absolute most laid back professor/person I have ever seen. He often tells us he is in a very "Caribbean mood" and doesn't want to do much that day. He gives us so much entertainment because of how clueless and airheaded he is. We don't do anything in class except listen to him talk about Dante or Petrarch (most of the time it's Dante). He doesn't remember what we did on the previous class, so he often repeats himself. I have still learned a lot from this class because of our mid-terms... he gave us five essay topics to prepare for the mid-term and that was the exam, haha. We have a paper due for his class on Thursday and he has told us it can be about absolutely anything - it doesn't even have to be literature related. He also told us that he is not one of the "famous teachers who checks if the papers are plagiarized", while he also told us that we have to have a bibliography but he does not require we read any books or research for the paper... oh and he said he is going to probably make up our grades. If he wasn't so funny and if he didn't give us so much entertainment, I would hate this class... but we will truly miss Stefano and his clueless, funny self. He is also the leader of all of the LdM program trips, and he just makes them much more fun and entertaining because of his personality. We have all found ourselves quoting Stefano at any given moment, so we took it upon ourselves to write down the funniest Stefano Moments we have had in literature class or on one of the field trips... and we have only done this for ourselves so we can always remember him and to give ourselves a good laugh when we want it. I have recorded them below... they are all pretty much funny only if you were there, and I am laughing while I type out each one.
"Class outside. Hm. I don't know how."
"You are too fast for me. I am in a very Mediterranean mood today."
"Allora."
"Someone had a, I don't know, spelling crisis."
"Your spelling is a disastro."
"If there is a beautiful party tomorrow, don't stay in because of this report."
"Should I fix my finger myself? I don't want to wait at the doctor. (with a broken finger)"
"After this, I go to the urgencies."
"Allora. Good thing we are not in Italy because this would take hours... I couldn't touch him for four hours!!! (during bus accident in France)"
"Okay. Dante wrote about Beatrice. Have you heard of her? (about the tenth day we have studied Dante and Beatrice)"
"Allora. After Nicole leaves, we all leave."
"My daughter is seven..... maybe eight."
"Do your doctors call you?" (as he answers his cell phone during class)
"Attendance update now."
"I wouldn't take a shower, so they called my mother and told her I am dirty."
"What time is it? Do we have time?" (everyday 15 minutes into class)
"You may be wondering why this man doesn't wear a watch. It is because I have allergy to metal. You may also wonder why I don't carry around a watch in my pocket. It is because I take it out, leave it on the table and forget it. I lose about 15 this semester."
"FINITO?!?!?!?!" (screaming after mid-terms)
"Allora. Don't be writing special notes to me or your friends on this paper. .... What? It happens."
"Adam, have you ever climbed a mountain?"
"Allora. Do you want to hear the menu again?"
"Madison, pick a number." "25" "Allora, two plus five is seven, divided by two, added by eight .... Ok, number nine. Chris Foong."
"How many friends do you have?" to Lauren
"Allora. Now you have three hours of free time here. See you back at the bus."
"Allora, now you go act like tourists and I will go over here."
"It is like a cave in here. I'm sorry I can't see." (while the lights are off)
"........then...... blah blah blah blah"
"Don't worry, I have some under this." (as he takes off his rain suit)
We have too much fun with Stefano, laughing with him of course.
I will definitely miss Cecillia and Stefano when I have to leave... but I won't miss Rosella.
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