Rome: My Best Semester at St. John's. Past Review

By (HISTORY., St. John's University) for

St. John's University: Rome - Discover Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Spending a semester is Rome will be one of the best decision you will make during your time at St. John's. Not only are you able to live and study in a foreign country, but all of the classes that are offered are geared towards fullfilling the University's core requirements. One of the favorite aspects of the program was being able to take courses towards my Art History minor. The art classes that they offered in Rome were a totally different experiance than taking classes at the Queens campus. Nearly every class was held in a museum or walking around outside looking at Roman architecture. I can honestly say that the 4 months I spend in Rome were the 4 best months of my life.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was really pleased with the academic portion of this program. The professors were all experts not only in their fields, but they were also experts on how to get the most out of Rome in just 4 months. Seeing as the courses were offered as semester-long classes, the workload and schedule was similair to the Queens campus. However, one major different delt with the structure of each class. I took 2 art courses while I was abroad and they consisted of meeting the professor at famous landmarks and museums and having our lessons taught outside of the classroom. This experiance was one of my favorite aspects of the entire program.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administrators at the Rome campus were one of the main reasons that I loved my experiance so much. They never ran out of recommendations on what to see and do and would always bend over backwards for you if you needed help or felt homesick. The location of the Rome campus is in perfect walking distance to the heart of Rome, (Piazza del Popolo, Vatican City, Piazza Navona, etc.) There was also a metro stop only a block away.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The meal plan at the Rome campus was awesome! Each week everyone would recieve "Meal Tickets" that could be used at participating restaurants and grocery stores. (A bunch are located near campus)Each meal ticket is work a monetary value and is meant to last Monday- Thursday. (Fridays and weekends are excluded because everyone travels out of the city most weekends)Personally, I am a vegetarian and found no problems being able to find plenty of food for me to eat. Most of the time my roommate and I would combine our meal tickets and cook "family meals" in the kitchen on campus.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The way that the campus is set up makes it really easy to meet everyone else on the program. Everyone bonded almost instantaneously and even after we returned back from our semester abroad, everyone has remained close friends. Nearly every weekend we would plan trips in and out of the country which were some of the most unforgettable experiances I had. While still managing to maintain good grades, I was able to travel all over Italy and to an additional 6 countries.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Overall, Rome is an extremely safe city. However, walking around alone at night is never smart, no matter where you are. I never felt unsafe in the city, especially within the dorms. In order to enter in the buidling you have to show your ID card to the 24/7 security guard before you can proceed upstairs. The location of the campus is also located in a very wealthy neighborhood and is pretty quiet at night.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Language

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Academics
  • Student Life Activities
  • Location of Campus
* What could be improved?
  • More time in the day to eat pizza and gelato!
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The type of student that would most benefit from this program would be a student that wants to put an emphasis on immersing themselves into a culture. After the first few weeks of being in the country, I began to have my favorite local spots where I would be recognized by the locals. This program gives you the opportunity to really fine tune your language skills as well as create them. Rome is the heart of Italy and is an amazing place to study abroad.