Rome is a memorable and exciting experience I would recommend to anyone. Past Review

By (Trinity University) - abroad from 05/26/2015 to 07/03/2015 with

IES Abroad: Rome Summer - Language & Culture

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that I can go through very stressful events and deal with them in a foreign language. I also learned that I absolutely LOVE solo travel.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not as challenging as Trinity, but I found the professors were more than willing to add extra challenges to those who were up for them.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

At times, the administration was a bit hectic and confusing.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Apparently I lived in the nicer apartments (Alessandro Poerio 4, in Monteverde) but I never had any issues. There was a garden, several bathrooms, and a living room. Our apartment was huge, which was fortunate because 8 of us lived there.

* Food:

The food was amazing. We lived around the corner from a cafe and a grocery store, so fresh food was always abundant and close.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living in Monteverde helped a lot (not many tourists and most shop owners speak little to no English), but it also took an extra effort from me that most of my roommates did not take. I went to the same cafe every morning and ordered in Italian. We never had a long conversation, but they knew exactly what I wanted by the end and started making it without me even ordering it. I also go incredibly good at the grocery stores. I'm not fascinated with foreign grocery stores (which is admittedly a little odd).

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I was extremely impressed with how IES handled my stint in the hospital. Everyone from my Italian Student Companion to the office staff was on top of helping me. I was even more impressed with my doctor at the hospital. If every doctor was an 1/8th as good as him, the world would be a better place. He was communicative, kind, helpful. When I was having trouble communicating while paying my bill (a lot of very specific Italian words I don't know) he went out of his way to explain my situation and how I was paying. The hospital was clean, private, and the staff was very kind. Also there was air conditioning which was great. There was an issue with internet. While the hospital had internet, it didn't reach my room. My ISC attempted to get me moved, but nothing came of it. I consider that a minor detail, however.

* Safety:

Although I did have my purse stolen, that was due to my own hubris. I had been in Rome for a while and I thought I was far enough away from the tourist area to be fine. I was wrong. That being said, I never felt even remotely unsafe. Several times I walked through sketchier areas alone (during the daytime) and there was not even an incident to speak of.

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)

Rome is...so much less expensive than I thought. I'm still just blown away how inexpensive decent food and wine was. There were a few things I got occasionally that were more expensive (I became deeply in love with stracciatella cheese, which does not come cheap), but general food and life expenses were not great. Also, gluten free food is the same price as its regular counterparts 99% of the time, but significantly better quality.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I took out about $250 a week, for groceries, meals, and various trinkets.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? For Rome/Italy specifically (and several other European countries, I think) get a local to teach you how to use the coupons at DOC grocery stores. It's really easy and good savings.

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

If you really do want to learn the language, every single faculty and staff member will teach you. For instance, on my trip to Assisi, a staff member and I stood around eating gelato while she taught me the individual names of dog breeds in Italian. However, if you are very casual about learning the language, you are unlikely to learn much. I heard several students complain that they weren't learning much, but I never heard them trying much either.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? None, but I was self taught beginning-intermediate.
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? I had a lot of success doing things by myself. It's nerve wracking at first, but it's also thrilling to learn things on the fly.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

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

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The professors
  • Cooking class!
  • My neighborhood
* What could be improved?
  • Organization
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Romans all go to lunch at the same time. It's kind of adorable.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Intermediate Italian

Course Department: Italian
Instructor: I can't remember. Long dark brown hair, teaches cooking as well, has family members with Celiac's disease
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: The professor was awesome and I learned so much from her. She loved talking to us about our lives and hers in Italian, which helped a lot in forming relevant vocabulary.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Rome as a Living Museum

Course Department:
Instructor: Pier Paolo Racioppi
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I loved this class. Pier Paolo is extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. There were field trips at least once a week, so we got to learn about Rome from the places we were talking about.
Credit Transfer Issues: