ICCS Rome: Challenging Yet Rewarding Past Review

By (Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics., Wellesley College) for

ICCS / Centro: Rome - The Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Definitely! I learned a ton, and fell in love with Italy.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was very intense, but everything we learned was important and well-taught in the American style.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

A support service was always accessible, they were definitely very familiar with both Italian and American bureaucratic procedures. The program size was perfect, small but not stifling.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

The food was incredible, and they were very understanding about dietary restrictions.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We saw incredible attractions and went on field trips, but they were all academic.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

We didn't have any health issues, other than an outbreak of lice that was treated calmly.

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? I probably spent around 10-20 Euro each weekend on food.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I don't think I had any unanticipated expenses--I tried to only pay for essentials.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? None for Italian; 300 for Latin; 200 for Greek
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

To improve language skills, the best thing to do was interact more with locals at stores, restaurants, etc. While you could get by on some things with basic English, a little Italian was very helpful.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The academics
  • The food
* What could be improved?
  • Perhaps more interaction with the locals
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you want to have fun and relax in Italy, do not do this program--only do it if you want a rigorous Classical experience.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Latin

Course Department: LATIN 102A
Instructor: Gregory Bucher
Instruction Language: English
Comments: The course was definitely challenging, and made good use of the location by having us translate inscriptions in the city of Rome itself. The teacher was always knowledgeable and well-prepared, and I participated a little less than I do at Wellesley because the class was larger.
Credit Transfer Issues: No.