Rome; chaos and confusion in ruins. Past Review
By Colin B (English, Michigan State University) for
John Cabot University - Study Abroad in Rome, Italy
That's very objective and overall a useless question. If anyone says it wasn't worthwhile they have way larger issues to deal with. I can learn from any experience and it was no different. It was enlightening and while there were struggles, every adventure brings different outcomes, it was just another one.
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. |
Classes were easy, almost a joke. Workload was fine, they understood we were there to experience culture in addition to classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were very inaccessible and offered subpar support. They felt like they could ignore you because you were only there for a few months. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was a 45min-1hr walk depending on how packed the vatican was. The apartment was small for six people with a tiny fridge. It was accessible to bus lines and the metro which made it a little better, but was so far from the rest of the university students it was difficult to interact with other students. |
| * Food: |
It's Italy, if you don't like the food, I feel sorry for you. But with that said, if there is a line, it's usually good. Try to avoid places with English menus as they tend to cater to tourists and lack the authenticity of some truly amazing restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Pompeii was cool. They have numerous field trips for students to take part in around the region. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Rome was extremely safe for me, but safety anywhere is pretty straight forward: Don't be stupid. There are certain areas where you should watch out for pickpockets but I never had any trouble with that in Rome. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
More local interaction to boost use of italian with locals besides classes. I had to use Italian everyday but most people I was around spoke English. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Someone that really wants to be able to get to know Rome very intimately and learn things about the eternal city that you cannot learn just 'visiting' for a week or a weekend. |
