An imperfect program with great access to antiquities Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The educational experience was excellent and the coursework was rather engaging. I think students' detailed comprehension was at times sacrificed just to approach the sheer mass of information and sites available.

On-site administration of your program

The staff was excellent, helpful, and kind. The director had students' best interests at heart but was content to take up a lot of space in various settings and didn't seem to be particularly proactive about meeting student needs.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living arrangements were tight. Bunkbeds and limited bathroom space plus rather expensive laundry costs added up to a less than enjoyable living environment. The students spend a lot of time around each other and that added some social tension (to be expected certainly but present and negative nonetheless).

The food was often good and certainly hearty with a home-cooked feel. The repeated flavors in Italian cuisine can grow tiresome but really overall the food was a positive experience. Meals with the whole school were quaint and in retrospect great for bonding, however, at times they too were tiresome (although we had the choice to not attend dinner or lunch).

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

This program is not comparable to most study-abroad experiences in this light. It deals with the culture of Rome 2000 years ago and almost not at all in the present. Italian classes offered chances but students could easily have staff interactions be their only contact with modern Italian culture. My best experiences with Italian culture were a result of club sports I played during the semester.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any serious issues with health that I felt the program needed to help me in addressing, although disease spreads quickly in the tight living quarters.

Overall Rome is a pretty safe place, although I am a rather tall (for Italy) man and am pretty confident in my Italian. I can imagine it might be a bit more nerve-wracking for people with different safety concerns than myself.

I learned what I could from ICCS but I would value a more immersive cultural experience in the modern world a lot more.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

It was rather easy to live with most expenses covered by tuition and fees.

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

Because modern languages were not mandatory, no expected practice was instituted.

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• Dorm

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Coursework
• Location/Site visits
• chance to network with future professionals

• residence
• immersion/cultural contact
• work-life balance

The Academic or Linguist