Study Abroad. All the Cliches are True. Past Review

By A student (Marketing, Loyola University Chicago) - abroad from 01/14/2015 to 05/01/2015 with

Loyola University Chicago: Rome - John Felice Rome Center

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Learned so much about myself in terms of getting out of my comfort zone and what i'm interested in with regards to traveling in the future. Also learned so much about friendships and just meeting new people in general.

Review Photos

Loyola University Chicago: Rome - John Felice Rome Center Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:
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?	100 - 200 euro
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Skyscanner for airfare, sometimes hotels can be cheaper than hostels especially if the hostel is well-known, any meals you eat out (especially in Italy) are ALWAYS worth the money

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language? 0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
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?	none
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?	If you've studied any language before, that is a huge help, the students who had never taken any sort of foreign language class struggled the most.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Making new friends Community atmosphere Encouraged independence
* What could be improved?	Dining hall/cafeteria (i.e. hours) Could always see more! Don't travel in terms of checking things off a list
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Do not go with your best friends. Or even really close friends. Go alone. Study abroad alone. Your best/close friends will always be there when you get back, but while you're abroad you'll make so many new friends, it will really broaden your friend group and your general perspective. It's like the first few weeks of freshman year all over again except this time, you know the types of people you want to be friends with!

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.	The Outright Urbanite A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	HONR 216: Honors History (Encountering Europe)
Course Department:	Honors / History
Instructor:	Anne Wingenter
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:
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Course Name/Rating:	ITAL 101: Italian
Course Department:	Italian / Foreign Language
Instructor:	Elena Faramondi
Instruction Language:	Italian / English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	FINC 332: Introduction to Finance
Course Department:	Business
Instructor:	David Pollon
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:
Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language:
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:

Course Name/Rating:	ENGL 273:Exploring Fiction
Course Department:	English
Instructor:	Elizabeth Geoghegan
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: