The greatest experience of my life. Past Review
By Kyle (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University / Virginia Tech) - abroad from 08/30/2018 to 12/14/2018 with
CISabroad (Center for International Studies): Semester in Rome
I learned how to communicate with people when there was a barrier as large as language. This is huge because if you can communicated through a language barrier, you can communicate through nearly anything.
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. |
Academically equivalent to my home university. Professors are great resources, they are professionally experienced in the classes they teach, and are eager to be of help. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
CISabroad was superb when it came to helping us acclimate to a new environment. They introduced us to the culture, provide academic resources, and treated us to meals as we talked about our time in Rome! |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I was very satisfied with the living arrangements, we were placed in the heart of our neighborhood and had nothing but but the liveliest of markets, good food, and nearby transportation to make us feel right at home! |
| * Food: |
There was nothing to complain about with Roman food. From the pizza, different types of pasta(especially carbonara and cacio e pepe), and the seafood caught no farther than an hour away on the coast, every meal seemed out of a dream! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Cultural integration was something I was most impressed by from CISabroad. We dove right into the culture, and it was a very personal process as well. Those who were a little shaky with it were given extra assistance while we learned to live like the Romans! I learned about the food, social cues, and political happenings from CISabroad during my time in Rome. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no run-ins to health related issues, but my friend had issues a couple of months in, and was treated without hesitation! |
| * Safety: |
The city is very safe when you have a smart mindset and are aware of potential dangers. Rome was easily one of the safest feeling places I have been to. Just like any city, you can be at risk of pickpocketers, or can be overwhelmed by street vendors, but nothing had me feeling more prepared than my CISabroad advisor helping us with our awareness to certain things. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CISabroad was unbelievably accommodating, and the fact that they made Rome feel like home so quickly for me was something special. |
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) |
Thanks to CISabroad, I knew right from the start where the best deals were, and when you have a good idea on the average price of food, you are able to tell what are tourist traps and what aren't. Thankfully CISabroad gave us the upper hand when it came to this. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how amazing my time in Rome was going to be. I was nervous at first, and wish I could tell myself then that there is nothing to worry about. |
