A Short Stay In An Eternal City

My IES abroad experience was one I would not trade for anything in the world. Aside from my beautiful apartment (seriously, I was shocked at just how gorgeous is was), my adorable neighborhood, my ideal location in the heart of Rome, and my awesome roommates, the IES staff both in Rome and in Chicago (where their headquarters are located) were extremely helpful and welcoming throughout both the application process and the duration of my stay in Rome. The IES center was beautiful and conveniently located just a few short minutes from the Vatican, and right along the Tiber river. My apartment was just a 20 minute walk from school (something I dreaded at first, then began to enjoy once I got there). Though the center was located it a highly touristy area, being from New York, I enjoyed the excitement and slight chaos the city offered, and although the area near school was busy, my neighborhood was cozy and quiet and very much residential; I got the best of both worlds. My classes were very different from any I would take a Fordham, and I enjoyed each one immensely and learned a great deal from each, things I would have never learned previously. Each week (usually multiple times a week) my classes would have field studies, where we would go to historical or relevant locations and learn first hands the topics we studied. I went everywhere from the Coliseum to Saint Peter's Basilica, to the Roman Ruins, even to Florence to visit the Uffizi Gallery and the Academia museum. My professors were not only passionate about their work, but engaging and helpful as well. They became more like mentors and friends than teachers and the entire IES staff made us feel like one big family despite the 90 students in the program. Additionally, there were various activities both within and outside the program we were constantly notified about, I even got to go to Easter mass at Saint Peter's and hear Pope Francis speak. I was also given the option (which I chose) to live with an Italian student companion, along with the 4 other American girls in my program. This was great because it gave us more insight into the Italian culture and someone to show us around and expose us to more places, people, and things. Overall, my experience with IES and in Rome in general was unlike any other I have ever experienced, I am extremely happy with the decision I made and I am proud to say I now consider Rome a second home to me and am excited for my next opportunity to return.