La vita è bella a Roma Past Review
By A student (Global Studies, Vermont State University) - abroad from 01/19/2015 to 05/12/2015 with
WorldStrides Study Abroad in Rome, Italy
I learned a lot about myself while I was abroad, and I picked up a lot of skills as well. I learned how to navigate a city without speaking the language or without a phone. I became a better cook. I improved my level of Italian. I learned that no matter where I am in the world, I will be able to make wherever I am home, with newly found friends and roommates.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The American University of Rome is a very good university. The courses are structured very well, the teachers are very qualified and this is definitely not a school you can slack off in. There are resident students who take their education very seriously and missing classes can be detrimental to your grade. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ISA Onsite Staff were amazing and welcoming. Any problem that came up while I was abroad they were able to help me fix it, whether by faxing paperwork to my home university or by allowing me to use their phone to contact my bank. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements were pretty good. It was a little crowded at times, as there were six of us in a three bedroom, two bathroom apartment but we were able to make it work. |
| * Food: |
It's Rome. Whether you're cooking with some of the freshest ingredients around or eating out in Trastevere in a Trattoria you won't be disappointed. Avoid touristy restaurants and promoters who will do anything to get you to eat in their restaurant. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was in an apartment in Monteverde, which is a very residential area. There were Italian families living in my apartment building, and very few people spoke English, which gave me more chances to (attempt to) speak the language. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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 and Europe for that matter is expensive. I was able to live on about 125 Euros a month, about $140, except when I was travelling. I only ate out in Rome twice, to save money for when I had to travel for classes, for when ISA took us on excursions, and when I traveled on my own to Dublin and Berlin. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Less than $40 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Whatever amount you think you will need, it most likely isn't enough. My parents deposited money into my account because I ran out three weeks before I went home. If you are on a limited budget, plan to cook almost all of your meals, shop at discount grocery stores like Todi's, and if/when you travel outside of Rome, buy a few things in the grocery store to have as lunch and save your money for dinners. |
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 |
If I wanted to talk to anyone who wasn't in the college or in the ISA program, I had to speak Italian. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Italian 101 |
| 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? | Speaking is really the most helpful. I hadn't really practiced the language before I left, it had been a whole semester since I had taken Italian and I struggled a lot the first few weeks. But once you are more comfortable speaking the language, you will become more confident and you'll find you'll be able to have at least a basic conversation with your grocer or the doorman of your building. |
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? |
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 now that stepping off a plane in a city that you barely speak the language of and making it your home for the next four months, although terrifying initially, is possible. I came from a very small town to a huge international city, and while there were some hiccups, some of which are very funny now, I was able to adjust and really enjoy my time abroad. |
