Study Abroad in Rome: get the most out of your experience Past Review
By Kristen C (Psychology, University of San Diego) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Rome, Italy
I feel that I now have a broader world view and can understand and relate to different cultures. This experience has made me much more confident about traveling on my own and about experiencing new things.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | CEA, John Cabot |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My workload was slightly easier than that of my home institution but I still found it quite challenging. I feel that I learned a lot and professors were very helpful for the most part. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Staff was very knowledgeable and helpful. The program was small so they could be very hands-on and help with any need. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments are very close to the campus and are very nice. If we ever had any problems, the staff would coordinate having them fixed. However, sometimes it took quite a while to get problems solved. |
| * Food: |
delicious food but e prepared for lots of carbs! It is difficult to find good servings of meat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program provided many trips and cultural excursions included in the program price. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
CEA has an emergency phone line that we could call if we ever had a problem, day or night. They would also help us schedule doctors appointments if we needed to go. |
| 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Practice language with the locals. The best to practice with are people who work in cafes that you frequent or in supermarkets. Choose people you see several times a week and start up conversations with them. Although some people speak English here, I do have to use my Italian daily. |
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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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? | Students will benefit from this program who are looking to learn a ton and come back completely enriched. Cultural emersion is a must-- you cannot go to the grocery store or a cafe without speaking some Italian. You really get the most out of your study abroad by seeing so much art and history within your own city. |
