Rome is Home: Impossible to Believe the Old and New are Right Outside My Door Past Review

By (Physical Therapy/Therapist., Ithaca College) for

IES Abroad: Study Rome - Language & Area Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I love it. I miss it. I want to go back. The people (teachers, students, staff, bakers, shop owners) are incredible. I made lasting friendships with my peers and with my Italian neighbors.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There are slight differences because the teachers are Italian but they understand American education and strive to ease you into a slightly new system. Only having a few big projects allows for traveling around Italy and Europe.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They did nearly all the work for my visa which was GREAT! They gave me a name and number to contact and my adviser proved helpful when I could reach her. My program did not give me enough information about where I was living. My address had changed by the time I arrived in Italy and they never told me I was in a language pledge house or that I lived with an Italian. I was happy to do these things but I wanted confirmation that was where I had been assigned.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Vegetarianism is easy, meat can be expensive on a student budget. Food is AMAZING, avoid tourist traps and ask teachers for recommendations. Go to Baffetto in Centro

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Trips to the beach, olive picking, cooking classes, the last dinner and sing along.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

It's a city, don't be stupid. Don't walk alone at night, don't walk bad neighborhoods at night. Keep your purse close to you on the buses. Don't pull out wads of cash in public. After the ATM go straight home and hide excess money. I rarely ever felt unsafe and it was because I didn't follow the above advice. Teachers are great and very helpful with health related needs. There is a pharmacy right next to school.

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? $200.00 per week spent on mostly groceries, phone money, and going out with friends
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The permesso di soggorno costs 200.00 euro once you're on site. Museums and clubs can be costly. Keep track of what you spend from week to week so that you can see where you spend the most money and decide if that's what you want to be doing. You're only going to study abroad once, so enjoy it. try not to fret about money if you can.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 200
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

Living with an Italian and speaking with them in Italian is crucial. Speaking as often as you can, with friends, new local friends, professors, any time you can. Practice practice practice. No matter how bad/mixed/or broken your sentences are, just thinking through trying to translate is extremely helpful. Ask for tongue twisters or riddles, funny expressions and slang words. They can be more fun to use and you'll practice forming conversations just to experiment with them.

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Teachers
  • Field Studies out into the city at least twice a week for classes
  • Living with a local
* What could be improved?
  • More variety in classes offered (higher levels)
  • Getting to know students I don't have class with or live near is hard
  • more group trips (required or offered)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Eager, excited, willing to try something new (Though there are plenty of safety nets). Don't be an American, be Roman.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Baroque Rome

Course Department: AH 331-01
Instructor: Federica Giacomini
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Fantastic! A perfect balance between demanding and inspirational. A lot was expected of students but all tools and assistance were available to achieve success.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Inside Art: An Approach to Conservation

Course Department: AH 312-01
Instructor: Federica Giacomini
Instruction Language: English
Comments: For anyone with a passion for art history, conservation, or an interest in the creation processes this class is great. A bit challenging but it is assigned a 300 course level. Federica is an expert in her field and the field studies took us all over Rome to explore reconstructions and cleanings in every area of art. There are only so many times one will have the chance to climb scaffolding in a garden villa to examine 15th century frescoes up close. I was unsure if cleaning would interest me when I first signed up but it is fascinating to see how masterpieces are conserved or restored.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Forma Urbis

Course Department: AH 225-01
Instructor: Gianni Ponte
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Gianni is an amazing teacher who connects with every student individually. He brings ancient Rome to life. He works to find a personal connection for each student to their studies. He is a wonderful instructor and his passion for this class is evident from day one.
Credit Transfer Issues: