Studying abroad had helped my improve myself as a person and has made me more independent! Past Review
By Alexis B (K-6 Education, Brevard College) for
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Semester in Rome
I loved my CIS contact Romina Marchionne she was amazing and she helped us with all the ups and down we experienced with our housing and the pantheon institute she made me feel loved and was always a relief to talk to. Study abroad has helped me mature and become so much more cultured. I have had to deal with the stresses of a language barrier, going to the grocery store and not knowing what im putting in my grocery cart, but i think those our the things that make the experience worth while. It makes you appreciate so much more what you have and it is an amazing opportunity for anyone. My one suggestion to improve the CIS program and to switch schools from the pantheon to another institution.
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. |
My educational experience while in Rome has been a challenge, because I am used to a very strict curriculum and the teachers abroad tell you to do an assignment but give you no rubric or anything and this was hard to work with because I like an organized teaching style. The work load was not bad i had a lot of free time to explore Rome on my own and was able to immerse myself into the culture. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Pantheon Institute was very unorganized and didn't seem to have anything together upon our arrival. They tell us we have things at the very last possible moment so if you have something already planned like a weekend trip you have to skip because they wait until the day before to tell you. On the up side the people running the program were really nice and they seemed to love and have a passion for there job. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
The food in Rome was amazing and i couldn't have been happier! One tip for American students studying abroad if you love Peanut butter make sure to pack some because it is not easy to get ahold of and it is expensive if you do find it. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went to Pompeii for a weekend and next week we are attended a trip to Florence,Venice, and Verona as our Northern trip and that should be a blast! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Everything safety wise has been fine I have had no complaints. I haven't been sick so i haven't had to use the healthcare that was purchased for the program. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? |
I mostly practice my language within the classroom and when i was out in the streets. Whenever i went to buy something i would always attempt speaking Italian but the sales people insisted on just speaking to me in English instead of letting me try. Where I live we share our court yard with old people in assisted living and I always speak to them when i leave and come back throughout the day. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | Architecture Students, this program is based for architecture so those student clearly come first so at the beginning of the semester classes that I had signed up for were getting canceled and this was a hassle because they had been approved by my home school already but they didn't have enough students to keep the professor and so if your not Architecture i would use a different program. |
Comments
Dear Alexis, Thank you for your comments and suggestions. Alumi like you help us improve our programs for future students. Regarding your idea about switching providers: We have changed our provider in Rome for all Liberal Arts students. Sincerely, the staff at CISabroad
deleted-1509531057cis May 16, 2012
