It was overall it the best few months of my life. Past Review
By A student (Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/18/2016 to 04/29/2016 with
Temple University International Programs: Rome - Temple University in Rome
It was extremely worthwhile! I think the biggest things I learned were personal- I felt so much personal growth and development, gained so much independence, and established my love and connection to the country. I also learned about living in someone else's home, how to overcome language and cultural barriers, in addition to everything I learned in the classroom.
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 |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I chose to live in a homestay. My first house was not a good fit and I was unhappy there so I switched houses halfway through the semester. My second house was much better and I really enjoyed my time there. |
| * Food: |
There was no food provided through the program. I was provided food through my homestay, and it was not so good in my first home but very good in my second. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made an effort to speak the language and integrate myself because I really wanted to. However, I would not say that this was really facilitated at all by the program. The program itself was very American. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Never had any issues. |
| * Safety: |
I did not have any issues with safety. However, Rome is a big city and like any big city, one needs to be careful at night in particular and cautious and aware when alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I did like and enjoy a lot of things at Temple Rome. However, if I were to do it again, I think i would try to find a more international program. |
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? | maybe about $100/week, but varied week to week. Some weeks less than that and maybe some weeks more, depending on travel, etc. |
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 |
The program itself really didn't encourage it much, but my Intermediate italian class did. |
| 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? | level 3 |
| 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? | speak it with locals- in stores, restaurants, everywhere possible! practice with friends in conversation as this is a non-pressured relaxed setting. |
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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| 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? | I wish I knew how to what extent being in a home stay was going to affect the social aspect of my experience ( I still might have chosen it though- pros and cons). |
