I wish I could have stayed much longer! Past Review
By Nicholas I (Economics., University of New Mexico) for
John Cabot University - Study Abroad in Rome, Italy
My study abroad experience was incredibly worthwhile. I learned so much more about the world in general, as well as about myself. I definitely have a much greater appreciation for art, language, and eating long, amazing meals with friends. It gave me a lot of good stories to tell, and I'm definitely more interested in travel and learning in general. I think that I am much more able to think outside the box having seen so many new and interesting things.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I think that the instructors for this program are amazing, but have somewhat higher standards for coursework than the average professor at UNM. The workload was reasonable given that we were being given a semester's worth of class credit in five weeks over the summer term. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The logistics of the trip were very straightforward and clear. I thought that the director did an excellent job of organizing things well, while at the same time being flexible enough that the trip felt fairly relaxed. All of the faculty knew Italy incredible well, and gave us great advice for the travelling we did on our own. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment was wonderful - it was comfortable, well equipped, and in the historical center of the city. So many amazing things were within walking distance. |
| * Food: |
If I could somehow give ten stars I could. The food was amazing, and even though I am gluten-intolerant I was able to find so much to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I greatly enjoyed the nightlife in the piazzas, the trips to Florence, Venice, Pompeii, and Paestum. I saw so many museums and was impressed with the great wealth of art which was to be discovered in Italy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The city's overall safety is good, but of course it is important to have some knowledge of the city as well as some common sense about cities in general. For example, it is good to know that one shouldn't spend time in Termini station late at night. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | It is a good idea to budget at least a hundred euros a week for food and small trips/excursions to be conservative. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Planning well is the best way to save money on trips - and cooking for yourself is the best way to save money overall. |
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 practiced Italian with my classmates, but even more importantly I practiced daily because most Italians do not speak very much English, and they were for the most part very patient with my limited Italian. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The kind of person who would enjoy this program is outgoing, interested in art, likes to talk with their hands, likes to eat, likes to work hard, and likes to explore and go on adventures. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Ancient Art |
| Course Department: | Art History 315 |
| Instructor: | Dr. Lori-Ann Touchette |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was definitely challenging, but not unreasonably so. If any class can be said to have taken advantage of location - this is it. The instructor did an amazing job of taking the class to the coolest and most educational places in Rome, as well as on many other field trips to incredible historical sites in Italy. I learned an incredible amount from this course, and participated quite a bit. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | There were no credit transfer issues whatsoever. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Introductory Accelerated Italian |
| Course Department: | Italian 275 |
| Instructor: | Eldamaria Francia |
| Instruction Language: | Italian/some English |
| Comments: | This course was a ton of fun, but certainly required much effort and studying. The instructor for this class is excellent, and my class participation was a huge part of this experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | There were no credit transfer issues whatsoever. |
