Roma Past Review

By (Marketing., Providence College) - abroad from 01/09/2012 to 04/28/2012 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Rome, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained a cultural experience, maturity and responsibility that would have been impossible for the to gain had I not gone abroad. I would do it again tomorrow if I could!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The staff at CEA was extremely aproachable and friendly. They set up a variety of activities throughout he semester as well to gain a better perspective of Italian culture and history.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My housing was close to the Global Campus in a safe neighborhood. It in a residential area so it was not overwhelmed with tourists.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Traveling around and exploring the city gave me the opportunity to integrate into the local culture.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Our appartment was in a fairly safe area but we had to have our own "street smarts" for safety in a big city.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

Prepare to spend a lot.

* 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? 500
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Have at least 1000 dollars in your bank account per month if you hope to travel.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? None
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? Get out and have conversations with Italians. Learning the grammer is important but learning how to use vocabulary and apply it into actual conversations is more important.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The ability to travel every weekend because we had 4 day work weeks.
* What could be improved?
  • More planned trips through school. Also, I would have prefered to live in a more student oriented area such as Trestevere.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Where most students lived in Rome.