Best Experience of my 20s! Past Review
By Kelly (University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee) - abroad from 01/07/2018 to 05/05/2018 with
API (Academic Programs International): Rome - John Cabot University
I learned the value of perspectives and patience. It was worthwhile x100 round. I will value everything I learned over those four months for the rest of my life.
Review Photos
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. |
Awesome professors that WANT to form a relationship with you and help with your education and experience while studying abroad. I studied at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think this should be rated 10 stars because of the advisors on site and how great they were no matter the problem. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our roommates were chosen for us and I must say they paired me up with some girls that I will forever call friends. I also loved the fact that we lived in an apartment versus some of the friends I met through other programs that had to stay in the dorms. |
| * Food: |
When we went on trips with API over the weekend, the food was always fabulous and always more than enough. I started this lower because of the food at the school. It wasn’t as good as I would have thought but thankfully we had an apartment that API made sure was stocked with cooking equipment. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
API creates a sense of community and family which makes your fee more comfortable to explore your city and those in it. They also encouraged us to try to activities, food, and practice our Italian. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Whenever our health was questioned, our advisors came to check up on us as soon as they heard and made sure that was their top priority compared to other things. |
| * Safety: |
The safety aspect was great with API. Our apartment was on a safe place while our neighbors were friendly and our apartment was secure. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
YES while adding another semester on! I just loved being there so much and part of it is credited to API. If I didn’t make the friends I had or felt safe I probably would not have had such an enjoyable time. It was SO hard to leave my new home. |
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) |
We received a food plan through school so besides that if we wanted to spend money it was up to us. I have been budgeting my money since I was 16 so I didn’t find this part hard at all. Just find your group of friends that are fiscally similar to you and you’re all set! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 probably give or take some depending on where we went that weekend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save ahead! You want to be able to enjoy your time there without having to pinch pennies. |
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 |
We always were encouraged to use the Italian which helped me a lot with my pronouncation. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | High School Senior Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | Dont stress about the next few months- just go with the flow. It’ll be the best decision you’ll do. You may encounter things you never thought of doing by having no expectations. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
