Living as the Italians do Past Review
By Kelsi R (Communication, University of California - Santa Barbara) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Rome, Italy
Absolutely. I learned a lot about myself (everyone says that, but it's true) and I saw so many things I (as well as millions of people) have always wanted to see. I experienced life the traditional Italian way; walking or using public transportation everywhere you go, eating later in the day and eating multiple courses, hanging my clothes to dry, etc. I became very aware of how much harder it is to live here than it is in the states. Everything is so accessible in America, especially since I speak English and own a car. Here, you have to fend for yourself, no one is going to hold your hand. I intend on continuing my Italian language courses next year and I can't wait to come back to Italy and show my family the travels and sites I saved up to see.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teaching methods are certainly different here than they are in the states. At my home university, the professors lay everything you need to know on the table. Whether it be exam dates, paper topics, homework assignments or overall grading policies, you are always well aware of what is required of you. Here, they expect you to come to class and work hard but there is never any structure to what you learn or how you learn it. I had a lighter workload here than I do in the states and the grading system seems a little more lenient. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
For the most part, I felt that CEA provided a strong program here in Rome. They were very helpful during orientation showing us around our neighborhood to local grocery stores and bus stops and they made sure we felt comfortable in our housing by teaching us how to work certain appliances and always being accessible for any questions that we had. I felt the program size to also be a plus because it was small enough that I got to know a lot of different people very well and large enough that I didn't have to hang out with everyone all the time and I could focus on my smaller circles of friends. The one complaint I have was when I got sick, the program sent me to a doctor's office that was very far away from where my house was and no one there spoke English therefore I had to pay a large fee for no answer to my sickness. I let them know however and I am sure they will refer other people on the program to another doctor's office. Also, I was expecting to have better trips included in larger cities. I enjoyed the Florence over night visit but the other school sponsored locations were not as worth my time. Overall, I had a very positive experience at CEA and the staff were extremely welcoming and ready for any problem I needed them to solve. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very pleased with where we were situated for the semester. I lived with 6 other girls of whom I had chosen on the online forum beforehand and we have all gotten along great. The area is safe and everything is within close proximity. Although downtown is a good 15 minute bus ride, I don't mind because it is much too busy there anyway. Everything came with the apartment including sheets, towels, appliances, etc. |
| * Food: |
Italian food is obviously all the more delicious in Italy and the program was able to provide us with a couple full course meals in which we experienced authentic dining. I was a little disappointed at how little diversity there is in Rome, for example you won't be able to find good Mexican, Japanese or Indian food in any main areas. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program arranged for us to travel to Florence, Bomarzo/Galese and Orvieto. I enjoyed Florence the most because it was a city and there was a lot to see whereas Bomarzo and Orvieto were small towns with a few highlights and not much else. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt that health-related issues were not taken as seriously as I would have liked. When I had continuous chest pains and jet lag to the point where I could not sleep for days at a time, the doctor reported that I "may have the flu," and sent me away with nothing buy that small bit of English he spoke. My friend also had to go to the hospital recently and his stay was not very enjoyable either. This is not to say that I didn't feel safe in Rome, I just felt that I would have gotten better care in the states. There were no pre-required vaccines or treatments I needed before coming here and if I did need something from the pharmacy, my program staff helped me translate medicine names in Italian. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
The program did encourage its students to improve their language acquisition and it has worked for most of my peers, counting myself. You were able to practice the language with language teachers, program advisors and neighbors or other Italians in our city. I did need to use the host country language everyday because not most people in Rome speak English nor do they want to. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | If I could go back and choose another city/country, I don't think I would. There are a lot of study abroad programs that will not challenge you as much as this one did. Especially if you are not familiar with the language or the culture, there are a lot of things that are going to be shocking and frustrating at first. I'm glad that I ran into those road blocks though because I learned a lot about my own culture and I got to see things from a different perspective. Try and learn the language and try to be understanding of the people who live in Rome. It will get you a lot further if you try to become one of them. Rome has a million beautiful things to see and do so don't limit yourself to just the tourist sites. |
