Rome: The best time of my life. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Depending on the courses, the workload was equal to or easier than the work load you would get from NMU. its a small University in Rome so some courses had more focus from the majority of the student population than others.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration was wonderful. they were always helpful with helping to improve your language skills, or if you needed to visit the pharmacy they would go with you to help translate what your symptoms were. It you had a question about a place you were traveling to on the weekend they would have some sort of information to help you experience the best of that location. The program itself was small which was nice because the on-site staff got to know you as a person and not a american in a foreign country. Simply the best experience i have ever had.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with other Americans through the same program. the apartment we lived in was located in a very residential area and we were the only americans in the neighborhood. It was good since we could speak english together but we also spoke italian and had full immersion within the italian culture.

The food in Rome is awesome. there was never a bad place to eat. I suggest if you want a lot of food go for a restaurant that offers the tourist menu (the locals dont like it but its cheap and you usually get 4 courses.) Always get your fruit and veggies from little market venders and not the stores, its usually cheaper and fresher.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I absolutely loved the ISA trip to Sorrento. easily my favorite place in Italy.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was there for 9 months and never felt threatened, and never had anything stolen. however i was careful and always was aware of my surroundings. i do know of some people that had their wallet stolen from the buses. it really depends on how comfortable you feel and look in your surroundings but that goes for any city you go to.

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

The Program had a italian language day once a week were you went to the program office and practiced Italian. I always tried to us Italian everyday which in itself helped progress my knowledge of the language. In the center of Rome, a lot of people speak English, but were i lived there was only a select few that spoke english so learning the language became an asset.

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• Apartment

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• Americans
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