Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A great excuse to learn about archaeology in Rome Past Review

By (University of Southern California) - abroad from 06/18/2012 to 07/27/2012 with

AIRC: Rome - Interdisciplinary Semester in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
This experience provided a completely new way of thinking and learning about Ancient Rome through archaeology and how we think of it in the modern day. As an art history student, I was interested, but had never learned about archaeology, so this was a great excuse to do so in a wonderful city!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

This experience provided a completely new way of thinking and learning about Ancient Rome through archaeology and how we think of it in the modern day.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We were located in Trastevere, which is the best place to really experience Rome for the summer. You are close to many sightseeing locations but surrounded by local residents which means great restaurants, lively people, and lots of fun things to do at night when you're done digging!

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50-70 euro (more if we were traveling outside of Rome)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Grocery shop for meals during the week and go out on the weekends. During the week if you cook for yourself, you can treat yourself to gelato or a drink down by the river so you can still spend time outside exploring but not spending so much.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • Location
  • People
  • New experience
* What could be improved?
  • I would have liked to have met more people who did similar work as the AIRC/other archaeologists and learned more about what they did
  • Italian language component added
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? N/A

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.