More than I could have Expected Past Review

By A student (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Swarthmore College) - abroad from 01/07/2014 to 04/26/2014 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Rome, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

I learned so much about my academic interests and found direction in what kind of career I might pursue in the future. I also learned a lot about how to get around in a city and live in an apartment. I feel very independent and I think it is completely worthwhile.

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.	The classes were very interesting and I loved the course material, but they weren't very challenging. This gave me lots of time to explore Rome and surrounding European areas, which I appreciated.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	The administration is so kind and helpful! My wallet was stolen and one of the women went to the police station with me and helped me file a report.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	As a woman, I didn't always feel safe walking alone at night. During the day, harassment is normal and very annoying.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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)
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	100 Euro
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	create a daily budget and stick to it! also have a weekly budget in mind, so if you want to have a nice meal or buy groceries for a couple days, you know how much money you can work with

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?	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?	3 years of high school french
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students 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?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	the friendly staff professors nice and approachable variety of classes that integrate the culture
* What could be improved?	diversity of students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	This particular program is mostly made up of students from Providence College, which was not an ideal situation for someone from a different school.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	The New Testament in the Eternal City
Course Department:	Theology
Instructor:	Dr. Hagstrom
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This course was challenging. The material presented was at a college level and weekly essays make me critically think about the site visits in connection with the texts we read each week. The professor is extremely knowledgeable, has true passion for the subject and city, and is very available outside of class time.
Credit Transfer Issues: