La Dolce Vita in Roma! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The faculty and staff were really friendly and cared a great deal about their student's educational experience. The class sizes were small, so it was quite easy for the professors to make sure each student was learning the course materials. There was a decent amount of work to be completed for each class, but it was never an excessive and unreasonable amount of work.

On-site administration of your program

I absolutely loved the administration at AUR. They cared a great deal that each and every student was satisfied with their experiences at the school. They're very friendly people and some of my fondest memories at the school were a direct result of their continuously hard work and dedication.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Student Housing at AUR puts study abroad students in residential apartments close-by to the school. It was very enjoyable living with the locals of Rome and being so close to the local supermarkets and stores. I lived on Viale di Trastevere, which in my opinion was the best section of Rome where Student Housing could be. As far as the apartment itself goes, I absolutely loved it. It was very spacious and I felt immediately at home. Whenever there would be a problem with the apartment, we would call maintenance and they would fix the problem as soon as they could.

If you are a fan of Italian cuisine, then you will have no problem enjoying the food in Rome. Some of my fondest memories were of me and my other roommates going to the grocery store and making dinner in the apartment.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I was very fortunate to blend in with the local culture of Rome almost immediately. It really helps to know the Italian language prior to arriving in Italy; I managed to get around quite easily as a result of having studied the language for a couple of years. Additionally, I really tried to avoid the American tourist trap sections of the city, such as Campo and places such as Scholar's Lounge. I mainly went to areas where the locals would go to, such as Testacchio and Trastevere.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

It was mandatory to have a health care plan during the time spent at AUR. The school really did a great job in making the purchase of a health care plan easily accessible.

I personally felt safe in Rome. However, I have heard of multiple stories involving theft and pick-pocketing by a lot of students. There is an ongoing problem with the gypsies in the area; try to avoid them as much as possible.

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

Rome itself is quite expensive to live in. At the end of my study abroad experience, I spent approximately 9-10K USD. This included food expenses, travel expenses to other cities within the EU and the UK, and personal expenses from shopping. I additionally spent another 5.2K USD on the program fee itself. I highly recommend that a person saves up their money before coming to Rome.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

The program mainly encouraged me to use the Italian language in my Italian class and outside in the city.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

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• Local Students
• Americans
• International Students

• Beautiful city
• Friends I made
• AUR's Faculty and Staff

• More emphasis on learning Italian
• Attendance policy
• More emphasis on extracurricular involvement

The Academic or Linguist