ROME = my second home Past Review
By Raquel E (Rollins College) - abroad from 01/27/2014 to 05/14/2014 with
The American University of Rome: Rome - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned so much about the world. It's so much bigger than my school, than FL, than the US. That other cultures can teach us so much more than we ever imagined. That you can make friends in just one short semester and consider them friends for the rest of your life. It was %1000 worthwhile. I grew as a student, as a friend and as a person. I miss Rome everyday.
Review Photos
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. |
Some classes were easy and others required a lot of work. Similar to other universities I've attended. |
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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? |
It was great living in a building with other ISA students that I became really close with. HOWEVER, housing was so far from campus that it made it harder to go to class. Also, it is very difficult to do homework and study with 5 other girls in the apartment, so if I wanted to study I had to go all the way to school which was 30 minutes there and then another 30 minutes back. It was just a very inconvenient location. |
| * Food: |
SO GOOD |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
YES |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I talked to the AUR doctor once and he was helpful. The farmacias I went to were all very knowledgeable and helpful as well. |
| * Safety: |
Pretty safe just stay with a friend at night! I did plenty of day-time exploring on my own and never felt unsafe! Gotta always be careful at night though wherever you are! |
| 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
My mother was very generous and supported me my whole time. I still had to budget because she is by no means loaded. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I spent about 1000 a month about 250$ a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | SAVE BEFORE YOU GO!!!! I didn't and wish I had. Use Kayak for flight comparisons! Travel with friends for safety and saving $. Split the cost of things and use things like groupon and viator for deals!! Also take free walking tours :D |
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 |
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| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
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? | 10+ |
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 know so much more now but I'm glad I learned it the way and timing I did. |
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 UrbaniteA 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: |
Principles of Marketing |
| Course Department: | Business |
| Instructor: | Kathleen Fitzsimmons |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Mrs. Fitzsimmons is an awesome instructor. She is very knowledgeable and well versed in anything business and marketing related. She invited a very interesting speaker to campus and also provided may real world examples for concepts learned in class. The homework load, exams and papers were not too much for me. Definitely a challenge while being a study abroad student and traveling every weekend, but I still managed an A. My only issue was with the final project. The final project required the invention of a new product but the point was to develop a marketing plan. I suggest that already invented items (approved by professor) could be used, maybe something without a successful marketing plan already in place. For example no coca cola, apple or netflix or soemthing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | nope! |
