Past Review
By Marie C (Finance and Financial Management Services., SUNY - Binghamton) for
SUNY Broome: Rome - Study Abroad at American University of Rome
It was the most worthwhile thing in the world. The best quality I got from it is patience. In Italy, things move at a much slower pace. Usually, I move pretty fast. I have never been considered a patient person and I get antsy when things take to long. However, spending a month in Italy has taught me to just go with the flow and has also given me the ability to better adapt with my environment.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | American University of Rome |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes really weren't hard at all. I got A's in both of mine with doing barely anything. There were definitely harder classes at the University, but the ones I took definitely were not difficult. Workload was much lighter, but the teachers were definitely interested and very involved. They knew everyone's names and really tried to get as much individual instruction in as possible. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were all very friendly, however not very helpful at all. Things weren't really organized too well, and you could tell it really just was a different way of life in Italy and they weren't going to adjust to accommodate American students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We were in a small apartment building with 6 students all together, however we were the only Americans/students in our complex. All of the other residents were Italian families. <br /><br /> The apartment was great, however our washing machine, shower, and sink didn't really work too well, and it was just hard to get used to the lack of technology that was available. |
| * Food: |
The food in Italy was amazing. It wasn't what I was expecting though, and it's nothing like Italian food served in the US. Portions are much smaller, and there are no ad-ons (i.e., if you order a main dish of spaghetti, that's all your getting, unless you decide to order a separate salad or side dish). All of the food is so fresh, and you can find amazing meals for reasonable prices (if you search). Beware of tourist traps though, such as restaurants with english on the menu and pictures of the food- they are nowhere near as good as the real places and they usually try to rip you off. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The most memorable event for me was going to see the world cup game while in Italy. They set up this huge television screen in the middle of their main park, and thousands and thousands of people traveled there to watch the game. When Italy scored a goal, people went INSANE. It was the coolest thing I had seen. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Some people got colds and stuff, but really nothing serious. Personally, I felt safe; but you have to be smart. Some people ran into issues, but that's mostly because they weren't careful. |
| 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? | 100-200 euros, depending on whether I was traveling that weekend or not (could be more with travel expenses). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When you take money out of an ATM, try and make sure that it is an ATM supported by your bank, or else you will get hit with ridiculous fees. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I didn't know Italian at all before going, and at the end I had a pretty decent knowledge of the language. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | It's the most amazing learning opportunity you can ever get. Now that I've been to Italy, my interest in traveling has skyrocketed, and I'm already in the process of planning my next trip. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Elementary Italian |
| Course Department: | Italian 101 |
| Instructor: | Shalonda |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was a language course, and languages are always a bit tricky. She was very patient with us though, and it definitely helped to learn Italian while actually in Italy. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
