Italy: A Life Changing Experience! Past Review
By Carmen C (Government & Politics, Communication, St. John's University) for
St. John's University: Rome - Discover Italy
Cultural awareness is something that one can simply not learn from living solely in the U.S. Living in Italy changed my life because it made me open to new ideas, new experiences, and meeting new people.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was typical for a St. John's semester- the classes obviously depend (art classes are different from government classes!) but all the professors spoke great English, were willing to help students plan around trips and travel plans, and were overall very knowledgable in their fields. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on-site staff at St. John's was absolutely wonderful. Most of them Italy natives, they spoke well enough English to communicate but also knew the area around the campus and Rome quite well. My expectations of how much interaction I would have with the on-site staff was exceeded. At anyone's request, the staff would arrange for Papal Mass tickets, soccer games, and more. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
All sheets and towels were provided. There are sinks in the rooms that you share with one other person, and a single sex bathroom for the floor to share. There were maids who took out the trash and cleaned the bathrooms daily. |
| * Food: |
I was vegetarian while abroad, and the Ticket Restaurant program allowed me to grocery shop to fit my own wants/needs of food, while also eating out at pizza places near campus. I couldn't picture a better option for a meal plan in Rome! It was so much better than having a cafeteria. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We took a weekend trip to Pompeii, Naples, Capri, and Paestum. It was one of my favorite trips overall, and the St. John's staff was to thank for a greatly planned trip. If I had gone on my own, I never would have experienced so much in one short weekend! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Rome is a super safe city. I didn't have any major health issues but a friend broke his arm and the campus made sure to schedule him regular visits with an English speaking doctor until his cast could come off. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Practice with the locals! I went to Rome not speaking a word of Italian, and left being nearly fluent. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | Take advantage of every weekend! Before I knew it, my 5 months were up and I was packing my bags back to America. Try not to compare everything you do with an experience back home, because you're going abroad for a different experience! Some things may seem better or worse, but if you remember that it's intended to be different, your attitude can make all the difference! |
Individual Course Reviews
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Current Terrorist Movements |
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| Comments: | Although challenging, this course was probably one of the most interesting classes of my college career! Having a non-American perspective of terrorist attacks and their scope was so interesting to learn about. We learned a lot about the Red Brigades in Italy, and even visited spots where key historical terrorist attacks happened. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
