Olympics, Fashion Week and Everything in Between: A Semester in Milan
When Elliott Steinberg arrived in Milan, Italy, he didn't know anyone.
He did, however, know he had chosen an extraordinary time to be there.
The Dean College senior and double major in sport management and business management arrived as Milan welcomed the world for the Winter Olympics. Almost immediately, the concepts Elliott had studied in the classroom were unfolding around him - from Olympic branding throughout the city to the massive international sporting event itself.
Then he got to experience it firsthand, attending the USA men's hockey game against Sweden.
And that was just the beginning.
During his semester abroad, Elliott would experience Milan Fashion Week and Design Week, learn from professionals working in the luxury industry, travel throughout Italy and Europe and share classrooms with students from around the world. But some of the most important experiences were much more ordinary: figuring out the Metro, getting himself across the city for class, ordering meals with limited Italian and becoming a regular at a neighborhood coffee shop.
Together, those moments turned a semester abroad into something much bigger.
Finding a Classroom Everywhere
Elliott had always wanted to travel, so when he learned he could spend a semester abroad through Dean's Study Away Program, he began exploring his options.
Through Dean's partnership with ISEP Exchange, students can choose from programs in more than 50 countries while continuing to pay Dean for tuition, housing and meals. With careful academic planning, Elliott was able to find courses that kept him progressing toward his two degrees while giving him the chance to explore subjects from a completely different perspective.
Milan proved an especially fitting choice.
As a sport management student, Elliott found himself living in an Olympic host city. As a business management student, he was immersed in one of Europe's major centers for business, fashion and design.
One of his favorite courses focused on luxury business and regularly brought industry professionals into the classroom as guest speakers. Another explored strategic management through Italian and international companies.
The experience reinforced something Elliott already valued at Dean: learning becomes especially powerful when students can connect what happens in the classroom with the people, industries and experiences surrounding them.
Learning to Navigate More Than a City
Studying abroad also required Elliott to become more independent.
At Dean, getting to class might mean a short walk across campus. In Milan, it could mean waking up two hours before class and navigating a 30- to 45-minute Metro commute, sometimes followed by a race across the city to another building.
"You know that time management's very important with everything," Elliott said.
He also arrived without a built-in support system.
"I was all alone. I didn't know anyone," he said.
That quickly changed. Elliott met new friends and studied alongside international and European students. In one group project, his team included students from Mexico and Australia.
Working with people from different cultures meant encountering different communication styles, perspectives and approaches to solving problems was an experience that stretched Elliott beyond what he already knew.
The same was happening outside the classroom.
Making the Most of Every Wednesday (and Weekend)
With Wednesday classes beginning late in the afternoon, Elliott developed a routine: find a town about an hour away by train and go.
Sometimes professors helped him decide where to explore. One trip brought him to Cremona, where he discovered the city's history of violin making and architecture – a place he likely never would have encountered on a traditional vacation.
On weekends, he went even farther. Albania. Switzerland. Spain. Malta. He traveled nearly every weekend, absorbing as much as he could while the opportunity was in front of him.
Even his walks home became opportunities to explore Milan. He would wander through the city, pass its castle and discover new neighborhoods rather than simply taking the fastest route back to his apartment.
It is perhaps the simplest illustration of what Study Away can offer: the opportunity to become curious about what's around the next corner, and confident enough to go find out.
Dean students can study away for as little as a week or as long as an academic year, with opportunities in the United States and countries around the world. The destinations and programs may differ, but Elliott's advice to students considering the experience is simple.
"Do it. They're not going to regret it," he said. "Just being in a different culture is still the biggest challenge, but at the same time, you enjoy it if you can immerse in it and feel the difference and learn."
For Elliott, that meant leaving Dean for a semester and coming back with experiences that stretched far beyond the credits he earned.
Sometimes, after all, the best way to expand your education is to expand your world.