Experience things that you only see in movies or in magazines. Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The school is very disorganized. It states that it an American University in Rome and that it operates the same way that schools back in America do, but it doesn't. The curriculum is very different from what you would expect and takes some getting used to. The classes are very small and the degree seeking students are often very cold toward the study aboard students. They look down on the study abroad students because they claim that they are only there to party and not to study. The instructors for the most part are pretty knowledgeable. However, their grading system is a lot harsher than it is back in the States. The professors don't have any offices so, it's hard to get a hold of them for "office hours."

On-site administration of your program

The administration is very disorganized. They told us the wrong date for the start of the program and I was just about to book my ticket before they corrected themselves. A lot of the letters that you get from them are contradictory. They told us that we could move out on the 10th-12th, but they never told you that you might have finals on those days and they will not change the date of the final, or let you make it up a different time. A lot of people had change their flights so that they could take their final. There was also a problem with our friend's apartment where it flooded and the head of housing didn't even know about it. Their pipes busted with acid and ruined some of their things. They had to move into a new apartment across the city and weren't able to move back to their old apartment for two weeks.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Where we lived was far from campus. It was about a half hour walk, but luckily we had the tram that we could take to get there. We lived in Trastevere and it was very loud. We lived in front of a stop light so we constantly had noise from the tram and general traffic. Plus the bus stop that was in front of our apartment. I had 5 other roommates all of whom were from the States. Our apartment was really clean and in a safe location. The apartment was cold during the winter and unbelievably hot in the summer. There is no air conditioning and in order to get a breeze in the summer you have to keep the doors and window open, but it was too noisy to sleep at night to keep it open.

The food is delicious, but you do get sick of pizza and pasta all the time. The grocery stores have a variety of different things to try, but it can be expensive.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really did enjoy being within walking distance of all the main monuments. It really is fantastic place to live. However, if you aren't used to a big city, it can be really overwhelming. It is very busy all the time and although they say that Italians are laid back, they always seem to be going somewhere in a hurry.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There are always pick-pockets to look out for, but if you are smart about your stuff, nothing will be stolen.

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

I was somewhat able to use my language that I had learned, but it was hard at the same time because once you start speaking Italian to the natives, they can pick up on the fact you are an American and they will try and speak English to you.

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• Apartment

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• Americans