Rome: Chaotic, Challenging, and Worth It! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors all seemed to really love what they did and wanted to educate the class. I disliked being forced to take Italian, but loved all the other classes available. Many teachers will help you get access to places you normally can't go or wouldn't think of going. It felt more conventionally American in style and most students will get the hang of things quickly.

On-site administration of your program

Much of this information I have left for my advisor to read. they were able to support and deal with my small disability so that worked well and it was largely to me expectations. If you are ill they are excellent for arranging easy food to eat and any medical treatment needed.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was in a great hotel right on the Aventine hill so talk about location. I got a single which is exactly what I wanted and while small and warm, it was still very nice. The hotel family was very nice but their limited Italian made me practice my language. You have to buzz a gate doorbell to get in but the garden is lovely and they even have a cat! The hotel also has a basic maid service which makes the bed and provides soap and some towels. The other students got to live in the convent with a nice location and was more immersed since other foreign vacationers stayed there too. It is a short walk but I still would advise the hotel for better showers, the maids, and the cat.

It is Rome so the food is good. Get the huge Kiwis in spring, artichokes in early summer, grapes in late summer and fall, and olives in fall and winter. There is a good Japanese Restaurant on the via Firenze if you get desperate for exotic food, but mostly go for local stuff. Volpettis is fantastic, cheap, gives out free samples,and has plenty of food but don't try the cafeteria in the back, it is not as good. Le Fate is a short bus ride away and good for a long dinner with a 10 euro students menu and English speaking waiters. Go to the local spots for good, cheap food. Dar Poetas is touristy but delicious for the balance of the two. My friend and I loved beAN as a nearby food stop and head towards the wine-bar near where the local food market is at 7 pm for a 7 euro all-you-can eat buffet of good food and good wine (wine not included but someone in the group should get a glass for etiquette's sake). Just be careful where you eat and if it looks like it has been sitting out for a long while, be careful.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Take all the field trips this program offers. They tend to be cheaper than travelling on your own though the do tend to arrive at stations a little earlier than needed. In spring there is a culture week where all state museums and cultural sites are FREE and access to rare spots if you call in advance so if you arrive in the spring, ask your professors and plan. Also Rome has special events all the time so just keep your ears open.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There are only two real dangers as long as you follow reasonable safety guides (stay out of sketchy spots, don't be out drunk and alone at 2 a.m., don't run around showing off wealth that is easy to steal, etc.): pickpockets/petty thieves and protests. For pickpockets, wear a money belt and try to go to less crowded buses and subway cars. If you are on a train and a person sitting near you speaks English you can ask the person to watch your stuff and go to the bathroom or just take it with you to the restroom. Protests, fortunately in Italy do not seem as violent and when I inadvertently wound up in one, I was able to escape quickly and without any problems (a friend of mine even got a flag and walked a short distance back with it without incident!). Just keep an eye out for bullhorns and Italian signs being waved about and leave when these start coming together near where you are. Health was a different issue. The sunscreen is very weak in Rome, so for pale people like me, expect to wear a lot of light, but covering clothes or bring your own. For illnesses talk to the program or you have no hope of getting what is needed. Doctors are expensive and take so long to get results so pharmacies may be a better choice. Food poisoning is the main issue so avoiding the really cheap unnamed food places with the word BAR at the top is the best defense as is avoiding any food you suspect to be less than sanitary, though this may limit food choices too much. If you do get ill, the program can have the nuns make a special lunch for the student of gentle food which is really nice though it must be ordered in advance.

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

This is Rome and I already knew Latin and French so even if they didn't speak English, I was fine. The professors, and most Romans who recognized us as Americans, spoke to us in English. However, some further lout areas like the E.U.R and other Italian towns could make this really useful, if for nothing else than to read the menu and ask directions. But not required and I am weak in languages anyway so I didn't progress too much.

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• Other
• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The location
• The housing
• The challenging classes

• The school needs to do a much better job connecting and informing non-Trinity College students
• A microwave needs to be in one of the student housing
• Reading Ancient Rome needs more site visits