Rome: Worth the Hassle Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The onsite components to some courses are wonderful. Seeing the works of art and archaeological sites in person instead of on slide shows is especially helpful. This is definitely the best part of the academics here. The Italian language department is excellent. The university is tiny, and therefore there are very few classes offered each semester. This is fine, but I wish I had known this before I decided to study there for a whole year. A representative showed me the course catalog, so that I could see all the wonderful courses that I could take. However, they failed to mention that many hadn't been taught in years, and that only a handful would be taught while I was there. This is false advertising and should be stopped. The final problem is that it is not possible to get an A+ at this university. It is actually university grading policy not to give them. I got 103% in one class, but my grade was still only an A. It's not a big deal, but if I work hard and do A+ work, I like to get credit for it.

On-site administration of your program

They were always accessible, but never adequately responded to my concerns.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was wonderful! However, it had nothing to do with the university. I didn't use university housing, but instead found an apartment on my own. I highly recommend doing this, because the location was much better than most university housing, it was cheaper, and I got to live with the person of my choice instead of being assigned random roommates.

There are reasonably priced vending machines on campus, but that is all. You have to get all your meals off-campus. There are some very nice places right next to campus though, so it's not a problem.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The excursions are nice, but sometimes it's cheaper to go on your own. However, if you don't want to deal with planning everything, they are wonderful.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The doctor on campus is great. Campus security is good. In Rome you don't usually have to worry about violent crimes, just pickpockets and burglars. However, you still shouldn't go out alone at night. Health issues are not always addressed well. TL;DR version: I have asthma, the campus is filled with smoke, student life didn't care. The campus is not air conditioned, so the windows always have to be open, and you have to be outside if you want to hang out between classes. However, the campus is tiny, so there are only 2 places outside that you can be: the garden, and the terrace. Unfortunately, these places are always filled with people smoking. The terrace is supposed to be smoke-free, but that rule is not enforced. The only way to the classrooms is through the garden, so you have to pass through a cloud of smoke to get to class. Even some of the classrooms, like the one on the ground floor, are always filled with smoke because their windows open onto the garden. For someone like me, who has asthma, this is extremely dangerous. I took my concerns to the student life office, but they told me nothing could be done. They didn't even remove the ash tray from the "smoke-free" terrace.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Most people spoke English, and (except for the foreign language classes) the classes were all taught in English. However, the Italian department was excellent, and there were many opportunities outside of class to use the language.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

• On-site courses
• Italian department

• Responsiveness to health concerns
• Honesty about the program