Culturally Enriching Past Review
By Pedro G (Loyola University Chicago) - abroad from 08/29/2012 to 12/14/2012 with
Loyola University Chicago: Rome - John Felice Rome Center
Italians have this joie de vivre that you will not encounter anywhere else in the world. Their enthusiasm and quality of life rivals that of Americans who can barely get off their couch and go explore their country. People have characterized Italy as being a third world country with first word dining, but the happiness and lax lifestyle they exhibit inspire me to become a better human being.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I fell in love with the administration upon arrival. You will NEVER encounter an administration as loving and as willing to personally get to know you than this administration. Not only will you see them within the hallways of the Rome Center, but you will have opportunities to see Rome and the rest of Italy with you. They will never hesitate to go downtown with you and share a bottle of wine with you and your friends! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The walls were as thin as paper, but you only really go to your room to sleep. |
| * Food: |
Nutritious, everything tastes good, 4 courses, gets repetitive. SUPER convenient. You get served lunch and dinner every day. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Rome Center is in a residential area of Rome, about a 30 minute walk from the Vatican. However, you lived in a walled-in area, and everyone on campus speaks English. You make friends with the students on campus, who are all American, and you go out with those people on the weekend. The only exposure you have to Romans are the lunch ladies, the select staff and faculty members, and if you choose to, the Roman teenagers you can privately tutor English to. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Health Care is AWESOME at the Rome Center. You have an on-campus doctor (whose hours are erradic, but he's there if you need him), as well as access to Villa Stewart, some of the best health care you can receive in Rome. Villa Stewart is frequented by the AS Roma soccer players. Rome WORSHIPS their soccer players as much as they do the Pope, so you know that if you're going to the same clinic as their soccer players, you're in a good place. |
| * Safety: |
Don't go out from Thursday-Sunday with the intent of getting wasted, because pick-pocketers target loud, drunk Americans. Keep your wallets in your front pockets, and stay attentive to it when in crowded areas. If you do that, you're fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | 50 Euros a week if I wasn't travelling |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | CHIN 101 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Get out as much as you can. Grab a friend and GO MEET ITALIANS. Frequent a restaurant, hang out at popular hangout spots, but continue going to those same places and put yourself out there! Italians are VERY loyal people. If you make an Italian friend, you will have that friend for life. |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | How expensive bus tickets are. 1.50 euros sure does add up after a semester. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
ITAL 101 |
| Course Department: | Italian |
| Instructor: | Jim Schwarten |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | If you've never had any Italian experience, Jim is the answer for you. As a native English-speaker, Jim understands the difficulties that native English speakers encounter when trying to learn a new language first hand. Apart from his awesome teaching style, he throws in personal life anecdotes that enhance your classroom experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No, as a student of Loyola Chicago, there were no problems with credit transfers. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Art in Rome |
| Course Department: | Fine Arts |
| Instructor: | Jim Nicholson |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | My Rome educational experience was characterized by this class. Dr. Nicholson is one of the most humble men you will ever encounter. He's been teaching this course for 30+ years, and has personally told me that he continues to learn new things from the Magnificent city that is Rome. THIS IS AN ON-SITE CLASS, as in you will go to locations once a week and get an extensive lecture on the place. His class was ideal because I was not only learning, but I was seeing things in Rome that I would have NEVER imagined seeing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No, as a student of Loyola Chicago, there were no problems with credit transfers. |
