Semester from Heaven Past Review
By Cartier Z (Business Administration and Management, Michigan State University) - abroad from 01/21/2015 to 05/12/2015 with
The American University of Rome: Rome - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
A semester abroad is full of learning about different cultures, yourself, life. I gained life long friends and lots of memories. As cliche as it sounds, it was the best decision of my life.
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. |
The teachers are very passionate about their classes and subject. Lots of group projects. Participation in classes are mandatory and encouraged. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration at AUR is very friendly, they try to make your experience the best possible. Everything was done in a timely manner, making things very stress-free. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We had lots of problems with our apartment, this is mostly because it was an older unit. However, maintenance came to fix everything the day after something was reported. |
| * Food: |
AUR doesn't offer food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Not a big percentage of students from AUR are Italians. However, the housing is in a very Italian area. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There is a private international hospital 10 mins walking from AUR. The doctor on duty was not very helpful and had misdiagnosed a couple friends so I'd recommend just going to a pharmacy is the problem isn't serious. The pharmacists there can help with colds and such. If the problem is more serious, just go to the hospital. |
| * Safety: |
There are guards always outside the school to check IDs. However, there was never a moment I didn't feel safe. Even taking the public transportation at night, I never had a worry. |
| 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) |
Rome is expensive. It's best to try to prepare meals for the week and only eat out of the weekends. Groceries are relatively cheap. Going out to dinner can cost a lot. |
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 |
We were told to go out and practice our Italian everyday. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| 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? | Make Italian friends. Go out to more Italian bars and clubs and less of the touristy areas. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | Make friends with the resident students right away. They will help you transition faster and easier into the culture. |
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. |
