Italia:Perche Non?! Past Review
By Samantha B (Business Management/Operations Management, California State University - Long Beach) for
John Cabot University - Study Abroad in Rome, Italy
Qualities I learned, definitely would be that there is more to life than the materialistic things back at home and I got a huge understanding and a new perspective of how big the world really is. There are so many people, so many interesting, diverse cultures and I loved absorbing them all. My cultural awareness grew profoundly and it has made me so curious to see the rest of the world and I want to keep traveling throughout the rest of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was fairly reasonable, dont have to put too much time into it. Teachers don't load on the homework because they know you are most likely traveling. Lots of papers though and be prepared to participate in class because class size is only about 15. JCU compared to my home university is very different mainly because of the class size and way the classes are conducted. Also a lot more papers than at home because once again the classes are small so the professor has time to read them. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
For this program I learned most of what it was about and what classes I should be taking by myself. Didnt receive too much help, but if you need help and you ask them they will help you. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was in Trastevere, and right by both campuses. It was the perfect location to get to class and right in the middle of all the nightlife.I didnt need to buy anything to get myself settled in, JCU made sure we had all the items in order to settle in comfortably. |
| * Food: |
All of the food in the neighborhood of Trastevere is really good. You can't go wrong. One place I would recommend would be, "Tony's" or also called Osteria del Moro. It is a really popular restuarant and really good! Also any place in Trastevere for aperitivo is really good. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
JCU had weekend getaways to various places. I only went on two. The first one was to Venice, Padua, and Verona. It was a lot of fun but they somewhat have the whole weekend planned out for you and even though you get some free time to yourself a mjaority of the trips are filled with tours, which are great, but sometimes you want to explore yourself. Granted though, the trips I did take with JCU I learned a lot and had a really good time. For those that like everything to be planned out for them, I reccommend these trips. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I for the most part always felt safe. When you are in the city you have to be aware of an array of diverse people. There were homeless groups that would sleep outside our apartment but as long as you go anywhere with cuation and dont let your guard down, no one bothers you. Healthcare was fine, you get insurance the few days you are in Italy and then I think you have to pay to go to the doctors, I never had to go so I wasnt too aware of how it all worked out. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I took Italian 101 while I was there and I feel that helped a lot. It teaches you the basics although it goes at a slow pace, slower than you need to be learning it to speak everyday around the city. I also recommend trying to learn as much as you can beforehand and then getting books to practice and have with you when around town. Forcing yourself to speak italian always helps you learn more rather than just resorting to English. Most people know English in Rome but you get better service if you try to speak their language, even if you say something slightly wrong. |
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
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be open-minded, accept the fact that it is going to take about a month to really truly settle in and get used to the way Romans live (You're in a different country so you need to learn how to adapt to how they live) The type of student that would benefit the most would be someone who is open-minded and willing to really take in different cultures and accepting to differences. |
