Rome is Home: Impossible to Believe the Old and New are Right Outside My Door Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There are slight differences because the teachers are Italian but they understand American education and strive to ease you into a slightly new system. Only having a few big projects allows for traveling around Italy and Europe.

On-site administration of your program

They did nearly all the work for my visa which was GREAT! They gave me a name and number to contact and my adviser proved helpful when I could reach her. My program did not give me enough information about where I was living. My address had changed by the time I arrived in Italy and they never told me I was in a language pledge house or that I lived with an Italian. I was happy to do these things but I wanted confirmation that was where I had been assigned.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Vegetarianism is easy, meat can be expensive on a student budget. Food is AMAZING, avoid tourist traps and ask teachers for recommendations. Go to Baffetto in Centro

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Trips to the beach, olive picking, cooking classes, the last dinner and sing along.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It's a city, don't be stupid. Don't walk alone at night, don't walk bad neighborhoods at night. Keep your purse close to you on the buses. Don't pull out wads of cash in public. After the ATM go straight home and hide excess money. I rarely ever felt unsafe and it was because I didn't follow the above advice. Teachers are great and very helpful with health related needs. There is a pharmacy right next to school.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Living with an Italian and speaking with them in Italian is crucial. Speaking as often as you can, with friends, new local friends, professors, any time you can. Practice practice practice. No matter how bad/mixed/or broken your sentences are, just thinking through trying to translate is extremely helpful. Ask for tongue twisters or riddles, funny expressions and slang words. They can be more fun to use and you'll practice forming conversations just to experiment with them.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Americans

• Teachers
• Field Studies out into the city at least twice a week for classes
• Living with a local

• More variety in classes offered (higher levels)
• Getting to know students I don't have class with or live near is hard
• more group trips (required or offered)