Amazing City, Awful Program Past Review
By Student - (Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 02/02/2014 to 05/23/2014 with
IES Abroad: Study Rome - Language & Area Studies
Being abroad is an amazing experience for anyone. You not only learn about the culture of another country, but you learn a lot about how to gain a sense of street smarts and independence which is important no matter where you live. If I could pass on one piece of information, it would be advising students to study in Rome, but NOT through IES.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had some of the worst professors of my life. Specifically that of my literature class. My italian professor, however, was fantastic. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I, along with 11 others, was placed in a location 45 minutes from the IES Center. 45 minute just to walk. The rest of the program was located 5-15 minutes from the center. We were not near any restaurants open past 6pm, no bars, nothing. It was a residential family area not proper for young students. Everyone else was not only located near the IES center, but near restaurants, shopping, nightlife; civilization. When we stated our complaints to IES, they told us to stop complaining and get over the fact that we were not close enough to the bars. No one cared about the bars, we wanted to be close enough to school. It is obscene to spend over an hour and a half every day just walking to and from class. After over a month of IES ignoring our complaints about the fact that we were having a drastically different experience than that of all the other IES students, we finally were able to move. Yet, we each had to pay $1000. Once we moved, everything was different and the experience changed drastically. To have made us not only wait a month, but pay an additional thousand dollars is just preposterous. IES, as far up as the Dean of Students, made it very clear that they care very little about the happiness of their students. IES made us seem crazy for disliking our initial location of Monteverde so much, yet the ISC's (Italian Student Companions offered by IES) all mentioned to us that they told IES if they were housed in this location (Monteverde) that they would not work for IES. You would think that would be enough to tell IES not to place students here, but they did anyways. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Like I said, my first housing assignment was not only a basement with no light and no cell service, but it was located 45 minutes from the IES center as well as the rest of Rome's actual city center. Once I moved, the apartment was suffice but still crappy. Yet, we each had to pay $1000 on top of everything else we had paid. Ridiculous. |
| * Food: |
Of course, Rome has the best food. Most places are average and very touristy, but be sure to find the hidden gems of the city. Those are the best places |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
You are only as integrated as you allow yourself to be. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Rome can be just as dangerous as any city, just don't be stupid and you'll be fine. |
| 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) |
I didn't eat lunch most days and ate out to dinner 3-4 nights a week and spent about $200+ a week on eating out, groceries, and going out at night. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200+ USD |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't stock up on groceries, only buy what you need for the time and go back as needed. I bought so much that I never used and it adds up to a lot of wasted money |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | College 250 level |
| 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? | Once Romans hear your Italian with an American accent, they will respond to you in English. Just keep speaking italian, it helps with learning and becoming fluent |
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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* 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? | I wish I knew that IES was as unprofessional and careless as they are. I found the staff to be so incredibly condescending and you would think that their students well-being is their biggest priority, but they proved on more occasions than one that it really is not a priority at all. |
