I dream, I wander, I Rome! Past Review
By Jaclyn V (Public Health and Religious Studies, University of Miami) - abroad from 01/21/2015 to 05/12/2015 with
The American University of Rome: Rome - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned that the world is not as scary as the news stations and your mother make it out to be. People in general are friendly, and helpful, and interesting. I found an appreciation for information and stories and people that are not American. I found a love for the world.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
At AUR the courses are challenging. I found that their standards for writing assignments were much higher than that of my home university. I would recommend taking electives abroad, no matter where you go, so that you have a cushion in case the courses throw you a curve ball. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The AUR Student Life Staff are incredible! They provided all the information I needed and if they did not already have it I only need ask. I could not be happier with the service they provided the relationships I built with Student Life. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was pretty good. A friend of mine studied abroad in Florence and her apartment was old, dusty, dirty, the shower was only hot for five minutes. So this is what I was expecting. Boy was I surprised when I had a modern, clean apartment, with a shower that only went cold when both bathroom showers were being used. The apartment had most of the essentials. We only had to buy a new omelette pan to replace an old one. The best part was a cleaning service came every week, no fights with roommates over messes. Plus the areas AUR provides housing in are safe and convenient for traveling within the city. |
| * Food: |
It is Italy, need I say more? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since AUR is mostly a school for study abroad students I found it hard to find the degree-seeking students and make friendships with them. Plus they see the people in their school turn over every semester and we international students are traveling almost every weekend so it is hard to create friendships with the other students. I also found it hard to find Italians my age besides ones just walking on the street, but maybe its just me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
If needed there was a doctor on campus every monday. The pharmacies there can also give out more drugs without prescriptions than in the states so that was very nice. I also knew of a few people who had medical emergencies and AUR helped to get them the care they needed. |
| * Safety: |
Its one of the most touristy cities in the world, you have to watch your pockets. So many people had their phones or wallets stolen. Just stay on alert and keep your hands on your valuables. Also it is a city with a lot of people, of course there are some shady ones. If you use your common sense about strange characters you will be a-ok. |
| 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) |
I definitely spent more than I usually do in a semester but how can you not when you are traveling constantly. I probably spent about $2500-$3000 for the entire semester including travel, food, experiences, and gifts. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | On food I probably spent about $80 a week. That was my only weekly expense. Other things like shopping and travel varied. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Book in advance! Do not wait till the week of to decide where you are going. Plan with friends and book everything in advance. You will save hundreds of dollars. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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? | Bring rain boots! |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Art of Rome |
| Course Department: | Art History |
| Instructor: | Daniela Corrente |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was offered on-site in Rome. It was so cool to be staring at the art you were learning about instead of a PowerPoint slide. However, it can be hard to hear the professors if they do not speak loudly or if they have an accent you are not used to. I had a particular problem with this in the beginning. But you figure out solutions to your problems. My one critique of this class was that the expectations for assignments was not always completely clear, for instance length or point value. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
