The best experience in college: Cheesey but true. Past Review
By Gregory H (Marketing and finance, Providence College) - abroad from 01/10/2012 to 05/20/2012 with
Arcadia: Rome - Arcadia in Rome
I learned how to live on my own. I realized I can be put in a new situation and still thrive. Living in another country isn't as hard as i imagined even not knowing a language coming in. I learned what I am capable of and who I really want to be. While that may sound cliche, its a new start for a semester and you can make yourself into whatever you want so you choose what's best for you. It was the most worthwhile thing I have done in college. I have a new perspective of the world and see that there is more than the American lifestyle.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
teachers were interested in our learning and also helped us become acclimated to our surroundings |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
While some things were still shaky and I am sure many GW students have already complain about it, the staff was friendly and always there for us. It didn't matter what time we needed them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Wonderful. While we had problems it comes with housing in Italy so I felt connected with the community, |
| * Food: |
It's Italy, the food is 6/5 |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While I couldnt speak fluent italian I still felt VERY comfortable within Rome. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
No health care problems but my roommate did use the program and was helped quickly. |
| * Safety: |
It is an extremely safe city. While I wouldnt recommend doing what I did, walk home across the city in the early morning, it is still safer than most American cities. However, the program was EXTREMELY inappropriate in its reaction to 3 of the students in our program getting jumped, claiming it must have been their fault "waving their privileges". The other safety concern was a seemingly mentally unstable female in our group who the program director acknowledged later was unfit to live within the program. A scary situation to be placed with someone mentally ill in a foreign country. |
| 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) |
Italy is a country with cheap food but obviously traveling within europe is very expensive. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 120 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make your own meals. Pasta is cheap so you can learn some Italian and Roman dishes to make at home. |
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 |
Some teachers used a little Italian while teaching english classes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | No language course in college, intermediate course in high school: spanish |
| 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? | Read every sign and look up words you don't know especially in the grocery stores. Try reading the Italian menus not the english version. Make friends with a local store owner and you can teach each other languages. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | How expensive it was going to be. |
