Ciao Drexel! Welcome to my fifth blog post about my time in the beautiful city of Rome, Italy. Today I’m going to be discussing the 5 most frequently asked questions and answering them. Throughout this post, I’ll be sharing photos from some of my favorite places I’ve traveled in Italy! If you have any interest in studying abroad in Rome, this is the post for you! I know this doesn’t cover it all, so if you have any other questions feel free to reach out to me personally! I’d be more than happy to talk about my experience in Italy! My email is agv39@drexel.edu 🙂
When does the program start and end?
- Because Drexel is different from most other schools with our quarter system, you are likely going to have some overlap between terms. My program started that I had to be in Italy on August 30 and we are to leave December 15. This was in Week 10 of summer term, therefore I had to take all of my finals early. I let all of my professors know about this during Week 1, so it wasn’t an issue for me. All of my professors were very accommodating and allowed me to complete my finals before my departure. I will admit that it was very overwhelming for me to complete all of the finals almost 2 weeks before the allotted time whilst also packing for my time abroad. The program takes place as a normal semester would, about 15 weeks.
What is the application process like and how early do I have to apply?
- My program started in August and the application was due in March. I started looking into applying a little under a year before my departure. I was under the assumption that you needed years to plan something like study abroad, but the whole process is a couple of months. You will be guided by your study abroad, co-op and academic advisors throughout this process. The application is a multi-part process but mainly consists of essays, personal information, and academic planning. There are many short essays you will have to answer about your desired study abroad experience. You will be asked to complete certain questionnaires to ensure that you, personally, are able to study abroad. And lastly, you will need to consult with your academic advisor to ensure that studying abroad aligns with your current plan of study. Additionally, you are only able to apply to one program at a time, so you are specifically applying to the program you desire. The process can seem tedious, but it is very worth it in the end!
Do I need a Student Visa?
- To study abroad in Italy you do need a student Visa. This process will be assisted by your advisor. Essentially, you will need to collect and print a list of documents. These documents include:
- Notarized national visa application form
- Proof of insurance overseas
- Proof of money order
- Copy of a passport phtoo
- Hard copy of passport
- Copy of your passport
- Copy of driver’s license
- If supporting yourself, you need to have a bank statement or a letter signed by bank official
- Proof of enrollment at Drexel
- Acceptance letter from host university
- Copy of flight itinerary
- The Visa process can be overwhelming, but yout advisors will assist you through this process. You are not alone!
Where will I be living and with who?
- AUR does not tell you who your roommates will be or where you are living with until you arrive. Who you are living with will vary, but I personally live with mostly Drexel students. It does seem as though that the school tries to group students together based on schools. I live with 6 other girls, there is 7 of us total. This is very common here, you will have a lot of roomates. I personally live about a 20 minute walk to campus, but it does vary. There is no university housing building. The students live in residential buildings occupied by italian residents. Because of this, the students are spread about throughout the city. I’ve heard of people living up to a 40 minute walk from school. However, there is a bus system that can take you to campus.
How do the classes compare to Drexel?
- I personally find the classes less challenging than at Drexel. However, I did save a lot of my elective classes for when I studied abroad so that I would have an easier workload. I find that the homework is very manageable here and it is a very presentation heavy school. I have had or will have presentations in almost all of my classes. The school is also very small which is something to keep in mind. The classes are no more than 20 students, often less. This was very different for me from Drexel, as I’ve had lectures with up to 200 students there.
Overall, applying to study abroad is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made! Take these things into consideration and make the best decision for yourself and your future. And again, I’d be happy to answer any further questions!
Ciao for now Drexel! I hope you consider applying to this amazing program!