1. Short walks to class: Everyone jokes about Bryant being like high school with a tiny campus and all your classes in one building, but you don’t know what you have until its gone! Trekking a half hour or more to class every day while avoiding obnoxious tourists and Vespa’s really makes you miss being able to walk to the Unistructure in three minutes flat. Switching buildings between classes is just a whole different story….
2. Dunkin: Expressos and cappuccinos in Europe are delicious, don’t get us wrong, but for some reason the concept of iced coffee just hasn’t made it across the pond yet. Some days you really could use a medium iced caramel swirl with a dry cup, but sadly only Americans truly run on Dunkin.
3. Tupper: One of the best things about Europe is that dogs are EVERYWHERE: shops, at the table next to you in restaurants, and everywhere on the streets. However, the homesickness sets in when you realize that none of them even begin to measure up to the beloved Tupper, or look half as cute getting pushed in a stroller. No many how many bulldogs are on the streets here, Tuppy will always be the #1 in our hearts.
4. Cheap Beer & Alcohol: Sadly burnettes doesn’t exist in Europe and drinking at bars can get pretty expensive. When you’re back at Bryant you’ll be counting your blessings while drinking $2.00 draft beers at Rentes. Everyone knows about fine European wines, but they forget to mention that it may break the bank for many study abroad students.
5. Easy directions: Via de Benci? Piazza Santa Croce? Buildings in the real world aren’t just numbered 1-17 for convenience like Bryant’s are, so it takes a few times getting lost to get where you’re trying to go. You’ll really miss the times when the most confusing directions were finding Hall 14 between 15 and 16. Honestly, Bryant doesn’t even have a road that goes through campus, so trying to navigate an entire city is a big challenge to conquer.
6. Short Classes: If you think 50 minute classes are a struggle and after an hour and fifteen minutes of class you are ready to scream, then the thought of two and a half hour classes every day here is horrifying. Avoiding night classes because of their length is an art that many Bryant students have perfected, but it just is impossible when studying abroad. Forget about having two classes back to back, there’s not enough expresso in Italy to make that bearable.
7. Around the World: A semester in Europe for many people will be the best four months of their life. It’s casual to just head to Ireland or the French Riviera for the weekend, and what’s better than that? Not much, but sadly FOMO does hit hard when looking at snapchats and instagrams of opening weekend at our favorite school. Traveling around Europe is an experience you’ll never forget but going around the world at Bryant is heartbreaking to miss.
8. Being able to wear sweat pants to class: You think you look trendy leaving your apartment until you see all the ultra-chic and flawless Europeans walking the streets. Sadly, throwing on yoga pants on a rainy day or Friday morning is frowned upon here and is a red flag that you’re an American, so even on your laziest days finding the energy to put on jeans is a must.
9. The Gym: Even though we all have our cheat days, just the voice in your head nagging you to go to the gym is something you’ll miss terribly. A girl can only eat so much gelato and pasta before her pants get a little too tight! Going on a run to explore the city only sounds like a great idea until you realize that drivers in Europe are not as courteous as those in the US, sidewalks are cobble stone and therefore hazardous for clumsy runners like us, and Vespa’s are whizzing by you at every second. The idea of heading to the Mac for a quick spinning class doesn’t sound too bad after all…
10. The look of campus in the fall: Europe is one of the most amazing places in the world and occupies the top spot on many people’s bucket list, but Bryant’s quaint campus has a beauty like no other. Even though walking past famous Roman architecture and sculptures now seems like a casual walk to class, it doesn’t have the same ambiance as good old Smithfield. One thing is for sure, every Instagram of a Bryant sunset or the pond on a beautiful fall day only makes you more excited to see it again!