John Felice Rome Center: The Best Place In The World Past Review
By Mario P (Finance and Financial Management Services., Fordham University) for
Loyola University Chicago: Rome - John Felice Rome Center
You really do learn so much about yourself; your values, experiences, perspective on life, history, and human achievement. It defiantly makes you want to see the rest of the world and wonder what great things other places have to offer.
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. |
The academic experience was great. Te teachers were engaging and helpful. There was a decent amount of work but the teachers defiantly care more about students learning rather than grades. While grades were stressed, there seemed to be an inexplicit comment that everyone does pretty well.Also, teachers take an interest in your learning outside of the classroom and how your experiences abroad may be changing your overall perceptions and thoughts on the class. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our program has quality information and can be very helpful with many aspects of the process. However, there was a lot of bureaucracy in terms of getting each class approved by separate deans who didn't really care to deal with me and I just felt that there was a lot of unnecessary red tape and added difficulty. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The campus is secluded in a nothern redisental part of Rome, about a 20min bus ride from the heart of the city. Everything I needed was in one building including the dorms, classrooms, and common areas. It was great in terms of social interactions with the other students and faculty, |
| * Food: |
By cafeteria standards, its the best I have ever had. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The school is the best place in the world for social and cultural experiences. Everything was perfect. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Very safe place. All the rumors about how dangerous it would be were completely over-blown. |
| 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $5,500 for the semester |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you saved up enough, I suggest spending it and not worrying because you want to get the most out of your experience. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | No college level language. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I never had taken Italian before and neither had about half of the school so most of us were in Italian 101. It was three days a week and the class was exclusively in Italian. During the semester I learned enough for economic interactions and to hold basic conversations and develop an ear for the language. |
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? | Choose an American-style dorm program and be ready to meet, explore, and open to the great things Europe has to offer. |
