The Magic of the Eternal City Past Review
By A student (International Relations And Global Studies, The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/23/2013 to 05/10/2013 with
AIFS: Rome - Richmond in Rome and Internship Program
I gained a sense of self, greater independence, a more complex world view. I gained knowledge about what life is like in a foreign country and how similar yet different people can be. It was by far the most amazing experience of my life and I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Because of the different strains of viruses and bacteria in Europe, I was sick for quite some time. Though I never went to the Doctor or asked for medical attention from the school I know they could make all the arrangements for students. As for the medical care in the country I found everything I needed to help my sickness at the Pharmacy, and communicating was easy enough. |
| * Safety: |
Rome was an incredibly safe city and I never had any problems even when I would walk back home through the city at 4 in the morning. Other students did have negative experiences but mainly because they were acting like idiots at the time. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
Living with a family definitely helped out and the Program provided meal tickets for about 14 euros per day which helped out immensely. However the exchange rate of euros to dollars certainly did not help. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Hard to calculate especially since I was staying with a host family and it varied quite a bit. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Find restaurants and other locations that are inexpensive and ask the program coordinators for advice. Beyond that make sure you convert everything from euros to dollars in order to know what something really costs. Also avoid taxis, use the buses and metro, and stay away from eating around major monuments and tourist traps. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
To be honest the amount of encouragement depended on the individual level of the students and what language course they were taking. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Advanced Italian |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Use the language wherever you go and if you are serious about becoming fluent stay with a host family. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Nothing, figuring it all out as I went was part of the experience and I would not have enjoyed the experience as much if there had not been a learning curb. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
