An Experience of a Lifetime!!! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The overall education experience was enough to be educated on the subject, yet the professors knew that we were there to not stay in a classroom, but to experience the culture. Many times, class was brought outside for site visits or just to continue the lecture in a cafe. Very understanding of reducing the amount of homework assignments as well.

On-site administration of your program

Every day, I was amazed at how well the program was run by our onsite staff. During the 2 week orientation in Florence, there were events every single day for us to learn about the city and culture of Florence. While in Rome, I knew I had a resource to turn to at all times with any issue. Rosanna, Marco and Chicca were wonderful people that I could not praise any more than I already do. Those three people are what made my experience so unforgettable.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

This was my only minor issue with the program. The location of my apartment was in the Prati district, which was very nice. The apartment itself was nothing too exceptional. The rooms were shared. The kitchen was sparsely filled with cooking utensils. We had a major problem with water pressure/hot water that never seemed to get fixed. Overall, nice conditions, but still had some problems here and there.

If there was a way to give this more stars, I would. The food in Italy is unbelievably delicious. I can't even choose a favorite restaurant because every single one was so amazing. The tickets provided by the program were very convenient. You could use them at many cafes and restaurants close by the school. This made it very easy and convenient to purchase a meal or coffee during breakfast or lunch.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I never felt that I fully experienced the Italian culture from another Italian person. I learned a little from some of the event coordinators and administrators, but that was about it. I only met one other Italian person that was close to my age while I was there. While I definitely learned a lot about the culture through site visits and tours provided by AIFS, I never felt I learned about the culture from an everyday Italian's view point.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had to use Italian medical services twice. I received stitches at the Santo Spirito Hospital near the Vatican. Definitely something I wouldn't recommend on your trip to Rome. Did not charge anything for the procedure though, which was nice. I received treatment for a throat infection from one of the local on-call doctors. The resident coordinators set the entire thing up for me and the health insurance through the program covered the expenses. It was a really good experience with the doctors in Rome.

I never once felt that I was in any danger during my time in Rome. There was a strong police presence and well lit streets during the night. All of my friends, guys and girls included, mentioned how safe they had felt during their trip.

I have absolutely no regrets with the program I chose. AIFS was an amazing provider and would go with them again in a heart beat.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I would say it was relatively easy to not spend too much money during the average school week. You could have a very inexpensive breakfast and lunch at a local cafe and make dinner for yourself at the apartment and easily spend under $100 per week. While that is definitely possible, eating out at the restaurants in Rome is an amazing experience every time, so $100 is about the average that was typically spent per week.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans

Select all that apply

• Americans

• Very professionally ran
• Amazing location
• Meal tickets

• Cultural excursions with other Italians

The Outright Urbanite