Adventure Past Review
By Caitlin L (Communication and Media Studies., Villanova University) - abroad from 01/10/2012 to 05/20/2012 with
Arcadia: Rome - Arcadia in Rome
ABSOLUTELY worthwhile. My favorite semester of college thusfar. It really taught me to take a step outside of my comfort zone. I challenged myself to experience as much as possible while I was living abroad, in Europe, and I would do it all again if I had the opportunity.
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. |
Although the classes were not quite as intense as classes at Villanova typically are, my educational experience was appropriate for studying abroad. The workload enabled me to still have time to travel and to experience Rome to its fullest. I took a Museum Practices course and a course on the socioeconomic history of Rome and I felt that both courses enriched my understanding of the city and were very practical uses for my time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff were very friendly and willing to help us with everything... very pleased. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in Trastevere, one of the best neighborhoods in Rome! Whenever we had maintenance problems, someone was on site to fix everything within a few hours. |
| * Food: |
You can't beat Italian pasta and pizza!!! |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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 seemed to be relatively expensive. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $250 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you're planning on traveling, definitely book flights and hostels AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. I ended up spending a lot more money than I needed to because I waited too long to finally book trips. |
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 |
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| 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? | Spanish Research Seminar |
| 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? | Try to speak with locals in Italian first... the Italian vocabulary that I remember are the words that I learned or used frequently from talking to locals. |
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? | Time really flies... do as much as you can, whenever you have time! Before you know it, the semester is over and you're on a plane back to the USA! |
