Americans take Rome Past Review
By A student (Art History, Brandeis University) - abroad from 09/01/2014 to 12/14/2014 with
Temple University International Programs: Rome - Temple University in Rome
The program and the experience were both incredibly worthwhile. Although Temple Rome does not focus on an immersive Italian experience, the classes teach you a lot about Italian culture and they often had visits from other Italian students and guest lecturers.
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 not as labor-intensive as my home institution, but the faculty is amazing and I learned a lot, mainly due to the program's focus on on-site education during class time and weekend excursions. The library was adequate for my research needs. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I did not have many reasons to contact the administration, but we received a lot of communication from Temple Rome staff throughout the semester and I watched them handle many health and safety situations with other people in the program in an appropriate way. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Most people in the program are put in smaller apartments, with three people living in one bedroom. I had a newly renovated 5-person apartment (2 doubles and a single) and an extremely spacious kitchen. The residence is located close to a hospital, farmacy, markets and supermarkets. The campus is far away from the campus building and most tourist locations in the city. The residence was helpful but their guest policy was very strict. |
| * Food: |
I lived in Italy, the food was amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program did a nice job of presenting us with opportunities for meeting italians, like social events; however, I lived and took classes with only Americans. I benefited greatly from a program-affiliated internship at an Italian art gallery, where I met locals and learned about Italian contemporary culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The office was helpful and efficient when dealing with health issues of students. |
| * Safety: |
Rome is no more dangerous than any other city. You need to be careful, particularly be aware of your wallet and phone when on public transportation and going through crowded areas, but once I learned the city and the public transportation I felt very safe. |
| 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) |
The semester budget from Temple told you to budget about $5,000. This is a pretty accurate estimate, although it varies depending on how much you travel during the semester. I ended up very under budget because I cooked a lot instead of going out. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $300 (including travel costs) |
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 |
Temple required students to take Italian 1 if they had not taken Italian previously (I was in the third level) and the classes were helpful and intensive. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Italian 2 Continuing Italian |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Take the language before you go, take a high level of the language when you are there and live with a host family if possible. |
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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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? | I wish I had brought rain boots. I could have used more information on groceries/substitutes for American items not found in Italy. |
