Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Never want to leave! Past Review

By (Providence College) - abroad from 08/25/2015 to 12/05/2015 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Rome, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
If you're debating on whether or not to go abroad, GO ABROAD. It's worth it, trust me.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I had an amazing time abroad. I met incredible people, ate fantastic food, and had a great time using the CEA facilities. All of the students live generally near each other and the program offered trips for us which were all very enjoyable.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

CEA's administration is extremely helpful and speedy. They will meet with you willing to sit and help, as well as be supportive as an advisor to a student.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was small, bright, and clean. It was in the perfect location, located in the Prati neighborhood surrounded by delicious restaurants and LOTS of gelato.

* Food:

The food in Italy is more than great, everybody knows that.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt very intertwined with the Italian culture because of our great living location. We were far away from American tourists and lived in a very local and Italian neighborhood.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

If a student was sick, anybody working with CEA was ready to help in an instant.

* Safety:

I also felt extremely safe knowing my apartment area was safe and that CEA was only a phone call away with an emergency number. I have NEVER had to use the emergency number.

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)

Decently easy, I loved near shopping though which made it hard to save money! Whoops!

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100 Euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Document all of your expensive especially when booking flights. Use an excel spreadsheet. You'll visualize all of your spending and be more inclined to spend less.

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

Lots of encouragement to use Italian.

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? N/A
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? PRACTICE!

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? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Food
  • People
  • CEA
* What could be improved?
  • More places to study
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? You're going to spend a lot of money, so save up!

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.