If I could still be in Rome Studying, I would! Past Review
By Jessica W (Interior Design., University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) for
University of Arkansas: Rome - UA Rome Center
Yes! I feel like a totally different person!
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 workload was way less than what I would have here in America. I worked a lot but I wasn't learning any knew techniques for my project like I would have been doing here. I would say it was just the right amount of work to be able to have Friday off and travel on the weekends. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My expectations were highly met! The University of Arkansas Rome Center was a great place to study abroad. I learned a lot and always felt comfortable speaking up and asking questions. The program size was about 65 people including other universities in America. Perfect size group! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was an issue for me. I did not complain because I was living in Rome right next to Piazza Santa Maria which happens to be amazing! I felt safe to am extent but not as safe as the other students. My apartment was closer to school than others but my roommates and I felt distant. Our door was in an alley covered in graffiti while the others had large welcoming iron gates not in an alley. Our apartment was tiny for 4 girls and I'm surprised I had to pay the same amount as everyone else. I had no storage I lived out of my suitcase for 5 months! I did buy a lot of stuff for my apartment because it was hardly furnished with anything! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Traveling on the weekends! Just hop on the train and travel all over Italy or join up with a group called "Bus2Alps" and take a charter bus to Switzerland and ski the Swiss alps! Unforgettable! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | Way too much!! I took 250 euro out of the ATM every 5 days! That's $350 American dollars! |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just know that traveling gets pricey,food, souvenirs. |
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? | I hadn't taken any language courses in college prior to this |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Taking an Italian class helped me so much. It helped me learn how to pronounce words and put sentences together. I also learned a lot just by hearing the language and interacting with it on the streets on Rome. A very small amount of people spoke English, more than I expected. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Enjoy your time abroad! I wish I was going again! /Architecture Students |
