So Much to Do in So Little Time: Rome! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There is definitely a difference between States school and Italian. 1. Classes are longer. Typically classes were 2-4 hours once or twice a week. Bonus is the 4 day week. (Makes traveling on weekends easier) 2. Classes are almost purely lecture. Our language class is the only one we regularly spoke in. 3. Your grade will depend on 2 projects/tests/papers. Several classes have only a graded final, some had 2 graded papers. 4. Classes are very reading dependent. At the beginning of the semester we received a syllabus with all the required reading for the course. We were expected to have read it for the final. No schedule was given for what to read when. 5. Some classes take place outside regularly- be prepared for weather.

On-site administration of your program

The program here is pretty small, but incredible. The staff are very friendly and more than willing to help with whatever you need in a timely manner. Accessibility has never been an issue. Most of the staff also has at least some experience in the States, so they can relate to adjusting. Expectations were exceeded!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Our neighborhood is incredibly safe- we've never felt otherwise here. It's pretty and a 15 min walk from campus. We are a half hour bus ride from the center of Rome, which is the site of all tourist attractions and most night life, but we are provided transportation passes and transportation is fairly easy to navigate. All "settle items" were provided and if we didn't have something we simply asked. The housing here is a little older and so some things take getting used to. The plumbing doesn't quite work like the States and to have it fixed can sometimes take awhile.

We are not provided food with the program except for social events. In order to save money we made a lot of our own meals. Use the discount grocery store because it's cheap and the quality is decent as well.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

CEA organized many cultural events for us and it was great! Pizza and gelato crawl, nutella crepes night, wine tasting, film studio visit, English movie night, museum visits, St. Peter's dome climbing, etc.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Rome is a fairly safe city. The center of Rome has crime, like any other big city, so you just have to be careful. Watch your bags, don't go out alone, etc. There were no prevalent health issues or safety concerns.

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

Most people in Rome speak English or at least enough that you don't need to communicate in Italian. If you travel outside of Rome that may no longer be the case. We practiced language in our Italian class and had a couple opportunities to practice outside of class as well.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Social events

• Faculty organization