Italy: best 4 months of my life Past Review
By Diandra P (Political Science and Government., Trinity University) for
IES Abroad: Study Rome - Language & Area Studies
Te experience itself was amazing and I would do it all over again if I could but I would not choose IES.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The teachers were very encouraging and went out of their way to help their students understand. I also loved that the teaching was dynamic and field-trips/hands on learning was used in every single one of my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Did not know how to deal with roommate issues or apartment complains. In general, i was very disappointed with their disciplinary management. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My living situation was the worse part of my experiences because my roommates were horrible. THe apartment was nice however and very close to the Colosseo which I loved. ALso, living with an Italian student helped me adjust to the culture and language. I pretty much went overboard and took every possible thing you could think of for my apt in terms of bedding, bathroom necessities, etc. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Our field trip to Venice was great because they arranged for special tours and meetings with Italian business people and historians that we might otherwise not have found on our own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure and let your bank know that you will be abroad and traveling frequently to avoid being stranded in a foreign country with a blocked card. ALso, always have some cash in a secret place in case you get pickpocketed or your luggage gets lost/stolen/delayed. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I spoke Italian with anyone and everyone. In Rome although there are a lot of english speakers, they are not very fond of people who don't at least make an attempt to speak Italian so I pretty much only spoke Italian or Spanish. |
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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