Italy- the Opportunity of a Lifetime! Past Review
By Morgan S (PSYCHOLOGY., Saint Anselm College) for
ISA Study Abroad in Rome, Italy
It was interesting to learn how other places of the world live and the culture differences between here and there. It was an amazing experience but it was mostly just fun and great to meet new people, it didn't impact my future plans except that I want to travel more!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The classes were difficult because all of the work of a semester was packed into four weeks. My Art of Rome 100 level class was the hardest because I had to write a 10 pg paper, take a midterm and a final, we had pop quizes at random classes (the classes were on site and if you were late for the class due to bus difficulty you missed the quiz), and we had to do an independent study at the Vatican (meaning we had to do the visit on our own time and we didn't have much free time as it was. It took 3-4 hours at the Vatican, and then another 2 hours to complete the written assignment. I was really shocked about how much work there was in this class for a 100 level. My intro to Italian language and culture class, however, wasn't very difficult and I enjoyed it! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was a nice apartment, but I was scared living in the city. Several students had their apartment broken into and one girl was physically abused by someone who broke into her apartment. It would have been nice if we were in student housing that was guarded by security guards. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved Florence and Capri- I wish the excursions were longer! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not expect to spend as much money as I did- pay attention to the exchange rate and be prepared to spend a lot of money!! I was stressed out the entire trip because I thought I was going to run out of money. |
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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
locals and shop owners. most people spoke little to no english |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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