CEA Rome Past Review
By Juliana (Cedar Crest College) - abroad from 01/09/2018 to 05/05/2018 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Rome, Italy
There's so much to learn about yourself as well as the world when studying abroad. You learn how to challenge yourself in many ways and grow as a person. Living in another country allows you to learn about another culture and traveling broadens your worldview. Studying abroad is absolutely worth it!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed my classes both with CEA and JCU in the Full Curriculum Program. I felt like it was challenging enough but I still had the flexibility to travel throughout the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CEA staff were always nice and eager to help students or give recommendations for local food or gelato. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments were really nice and it felt like home. |
| * Food: |
There was no meal plan with CEA, but they showed us the local markets and grocery stores in the beginning of the semester. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CEA Center and student apartments are located in the Prati district and it's a neighborhood occupied mostly by locals. I felt like I was part of the local culture simply by living there as I learned my way around the city. It's in a central location that's in easy walking distance of anything important and famous in Rome. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
CEA Rome has a doctor on call that can be reached through a mobile phone app or in WhatsApp. |
| * Safety: |
Rome is super safe and I never felt in danger. Of course, every tourist city has dangers of pickpockets or scams, so students need to be aware of thier belongings and surroundings, but it's a safe city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Overall, the CEA Rome program was wonderful. There were so many incredible opportunities to learn more about Rome and get connected with its rich culture. The staff was always helpful and I met some awesome people in the program as well. |
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) |
Rome is a somewhat expensive city to live in, so matter what, students have to spend a good amount of money. However, it was easy to budget and try to spend a reasonable amount on every day things such as groceries. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50 Euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | SAVE SAVE SAVE as much as you can as soon as you know you're studying abroad. You don't realize how expensive living abroad is until you're there. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We learned Italian in the classroom but then some classes were held in local food markets or gelaterias where we ordered or shopped using Italian. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| 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? | Just keep practicing and try your best to use the language when you're out in the city. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | There is a short period of time when it seems like everything is going wrong and you really miss home. Push through that crappy phase because your experience quickly turns into the best time of your life. |
