Rome is Home! Past Review
By A student (University of Kansas) - abroad from 09/03/2014 to 12/12/2014 with
AIFS: Rome - Richmond in Rome and Internship Program
I learned to be more accepting of new cultures, ideas, and ways of life. I also learned about my own capabilities and grew in confidence. It was definitely a worthwhile experience!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The class content was interesting and the professors were well versed on all the subjects they taught. I did not like the academic system setup though because there is no form of a point system so it is very difficult to gauge your grades. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Rosanna, Chicca, and Marco are incredibly helpful. They are more than wiling to assist in any issues or questions you may have and they have a genuine care for their students. They make you feel very welcome and ready to tackle living in a new culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our apartment was very nice. it was about a 25 minute walk to school, but one that I enjoyed nonetheless. The only issue was that our landlord wasn't ready for us on initial move in day and some things in the apartment were broken or issues weren't taken care of. However, issues were fixed quickly and overall I was very satisfied with the size and location of our apartment. |
| * Food: |
It's Italy! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Chicca organizes really great social and cultural events for low prices. I got to go to an AS Roma Soccer match, take many day trips, etc. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I rarely felt unsafe. Rome is a generally safe place because there are so many people out at all times of day. As long as you use common sense, you'll be fine! Always better to be out with one other person as opposed to by yourself. |
| 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) |
Rome (and most of Europe in general) is very expensive, so it comes with the territory. It is possible to be frugal, but remember that the Euro is stronger than the dollar! The meal tickets given in the program helped A BUNCH. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Roughly $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Meal tickets help! Don't buy things you don't need/things that will be a pain or heavy to bring back in your luggage! |
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 |
The Florence orientation program to the language was great and very helpful. In Rome, I dropped the basic Italian class and enrolled in Elementary Italian II in hopes of learning the language better and immersing myself in the culture. I found the class to be very difficult, but if you don't mind the possibility of not getting an A, it's worth it. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | No previous Italian experience |
| 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? | You probably won't get much out of taking the basic class. If you really want to learn the language, take a higher level Italian course. |
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? | Bring any products you think you might need! It was very difficult for me to find shampoos/deoderant etc. that I liked. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
ARH 305 |
| Course Department: | Art History |
| Instructor: | Daria Borghese |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was challenging but I really enjoyed it. I went into the program knowing nearly nothing about art, and left knowing more than I could have thought. Almost every class is a site visit and you end up seeing many beautiful sights and artwork in Rome that you most likely would not have seen otherwise. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
