Awesome classics trip with fantastic food! Past Review

By (Russian and Post Soviet Studies, The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 05/25/2012 to 06/15/2012 with

William and Mary: Italy - Summer Program Rome and Pompeii, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was most definitely worthwhile. This was the coolest thing I've ever done.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Being on site certainly intensified the learning experience and made what we were learning all the more real.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Everyone was really helpful and nice.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Hands down, the best Italian food I have ever had.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were fairly isolated from the local culture, since we were just moving around in a group the whole time. However, using the local transportation, eating at restaurants and exploring during free days helped bridge the gap a bit.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe. The only real issue going in to it was the risk for pickpocketing, but no one on the trip had a problem with that.

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)

For 3 weeks in Italy I only spent about $400 and the majority of that was used up traveling on the free days and getting gifts for my friends and family.

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? Yes

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
  • Hotel
  • Hostel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Exploring new places both modern and classical
  • Eating fantastic food
  • Meeting interesting students in the study abroad group
* What could be improved?
  • It would be better if we knew more about what was expected of us with regards to the coursework before we started
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I should have been paying attention to certain details on the sites, and not others.