Phillip Sgobba is a member of the Class of 2026 majoring in biomedical engineering and minoring in mathematics and management. He participated in the IAU France J-Term: Europe and the Islamic World program during this year’s winter intersession. This program ran from December 29, 2024 - January 16, 2025, and included visits to France, Spain, and Morocco. Read more to see what Phillip thought of his experience!
Why IAU France?
What initially drew me to this program was my sister who went to Fairfield. She participated in the program with other locations, and highly recommended it to me. Mainly because of my major, I need to take certain classes, and it would be very difficult to be away for a whole semester. It was a great opportunity to travel as well as complete a class for credit!
Academics
The program was very good at mixing a class in with all the sights we went to see. There would be a small lecture style at the beginning of every day, and then we would go see a sight or a town/city that we talked about. It was very interesting to learn about the topics and then be able to see and experience them firsthand. This made the class part very interactive and hands-on, which made it a very interesting course. The lectures involved a mix of history and religion, but overall, it did a good job of covering a broad topic. For example, we would talk about the area behind the town and major areas in it and then be able to take a tour of those places. In Seville, we learned about the cathedral and then were able to walk through it for as long as we wanted, which was an amazing experience. I think the TAs added to this as well as the teacher. The class was more informal than it would be here at school, so it made the teachers easy to talk to and ask questions even if they didn’t pertain to the topic.
Travel Life
The new cities were very cool just because the environment was always changing. It felt like there wasn’t enough time in the day; we would leave in the morning and stay out all day, and it was easy just, due to the fact there was so much to see and do. In each place, the culture was a little different, the food was always changing, as well as the environments that we were in. This change was great; it always made it so there was something new to try or go see throughout every part of the day. My favorite destination was Seville, Spain; the city itself was very walkable and easy to get around. They had amazing food, as well as beautiful sites all over the city that catered to everyone. Finally, the hotel was in a great location for the city, which made everything easy to reach. Due to all the time everyone spent together during the program, everyone on the trip became friends very quickly. It allowed me to branch out and talk to many different people from different schools. We became great friends with the master's students from IAU and still talk to some of them all the time!
Overall Experience and Advice for Future Students
This program was very eye-opening, especially getting to talk with other students from different backgrounds and places. It has made me very interested in traveling to other places in the future and even in learning more about the topics talked about in class. I also think getting around new cities was a skill that I picked up during the trip. I would say an important aspect is to pack light and leave some space for anything you may want to buy or get when you are traveling. I would also stress that you are only in each place for a day or two, so while you may want to rest, you should try to see and experience as much of the cities, cultures, and towns as possible. Between the information both Global Fairfield and the IAU program provided, everything we needed to know before, during, and after the trip was covered!
All details about January intersessions are available on the Fairfield Study Abroad website. These short-term programs offer a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity you won't want to miss!
Link to IAU France J-Term - Europe and the Islamic World:
