The Trip of a Lifetime Past Review
By Jessica P (Marketing, Suffolk University) - abroad from 08/26/2014 to 12/13/2014 with
SAI Study Abroad: Rome - John Cabot University (JCU)
I learned how to exit my comfort zone and adapt to new surroundings. It was entirely worthwhile and gave me such an appreciation for how beautiful and massive our world is!
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved the way John Cabot mixed the study abroad students with the Italian students. It really helped me feel immersed in the culture! Classes were difficult but interesting and I had the amazing opportunity to take a class on the Sociology of Southern Italy (one of my favorite College courses to date)!! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
SAI offered amazing excursions and activities to help students meet one another and see more of the country! Our SAI staff, Jess and Jordan, were so helpful with making sure our transition into international culture (especially the stressful paperwork aspect) went smoothly. They were always available to help and answer any questions we had! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I adored my quaint Roman apartment! It was clean and very authentic to the culture. Aside from being spacious and comfortable, we had this beautiful courtyard filled with orange trees right outside our balcony. |
| * Food: |
Authentic Italian food is to die for! John Cabot's cafe was not bad either but nothing can compare to some of Rome's most famous restaurants which are all located centrally to John Cabot's campus. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Thanks to SAI I felt very integrated into the local culture! The excursions across Italy showed me how true Italians live, as well as how to cook like a true Italian at the cooking class they set up! One of my favorite weekends of my entire semester abroad was SAI's trip to Umbria. We stayed in a quaint and cozy inn and ate typical Italian meals, while learning about the Perguia Chocolate Factory and even making our own Perugian truffles! One of the options on this trip included a farm lunch and a walking tour of the mountains. I will never forget the conversations I had with the family that lived on that farm about how their lives differed from mine! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I was really intrigued by the way Italy in general handles their healthcare! It seems much more accessible there. Luckily I did not need to seek out medical care during my time abroad but some of the students studying with me did and I heard nothing but good things from them! |
| * Safety: |
Any big city comes with safety concerns and Rome is no different. I recommend being hyper aware of your surroundings. I went into the experience lucky to have lived in the big city of Boston, but not everyone has that sort of experience. Guard your bags and make sure not to walk alone at night.. these tips are really helpful in any new location or large city! |
| 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) |
Budgeting is especially difficult abroad where you are working with a different currency. I struggle to budget while in America but struggled especially more while abroad, mostly because the excitement of all the opportunities available to you can be blinding. By the end of the semester I had figured out how to budget! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | While studying abroad does offer great opportunities to travel to many new places, watch how much you are spending on weekend trips! Many people I knew abroad booked a trip for every weekend all at once and had not considered all the costs associated with travel (food, hostels, souvenirs, etc). Budget how much you would like to spend for travel and look for the best deals! Traveling is great, but traveling when you have run out of money is not! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
Our first week abroad we had a very helpful Italian Crash Course set up by SAI. I came to the country with absolutely no prior knowledge of the language so this was especially helpful. Throughout the semester, our SAI staff, Jess and Jordan, encouraged us to speak in Italian whenever possible and often gave us tips on how to practice! |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None in Italian |
| 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 highly recommend taking Italian 101 while studying at John Cabot! The class is extremely helpful. Otherwise, just try to immerse yourself in the language. Do not rely on English just because you know it is widely spoken. Go out to a cafe and listen to other's speak and try to converse with them in Italian, you'd be surprised how much you will learn just by experience. |
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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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | There is nothing I wish I knew, necessarily, however, I wish I could tell me former self to make the most out of the trip. Do not nap between classes (because I am a napper), instead go out and explore more often because study abroad was the time of my life and I would give anything to go back and do it all over again. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
