a modern grand tour, for better or worse Past Review

By (Middlebury College) - abroad from 09/03/2018 to 12/15/2018 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Rome! I love Rome! It was worth it for a chance to live there, but academically, not what I was expecting at all, especially wrt to the rigor of the language classes.

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.

not as challenging as i was expecting

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

small but fine. the gianicolo is sort of far from a lot of the city, but I got used to it.

* Food:

no access to kitchen on weekends or way to get off the meal plan.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

barely. we met 5 or so Italians in the whole program. While on trips, we ate only in our hotels.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

access to mental health support was not clear

* Safety:

i feel very safe in Rome at all times of day/night

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

This program is an incredible chance to see the city of Rome, but somewhat poorly-organized in the fall because of the new faculty.

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)

depended on the week, but weekend expenses were somewhat high, and our weeklong break.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100?

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

we were supposed to have italian tables, but then never did.

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? N/A
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Rome
  • Projects
  • Italian
* What could be improved?
  • Language Classes
  • More Meal Options
  • Clearer Communication
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Ancient language classes are not challenging. An incredibly huge amount of time in class and very hard to get alone time. Often, hours of lectures had no particular argument, which made it difficult to synthesize the information.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Italian

Course Department: Italian
Instructor: Barbara Castaldo
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: the highlight of my time abroad!
Credit Transfer Issues: