API: Experience Rome, Italy (Scholarships Available)

Wow, how do I start!? I spend the spring of 2018 in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University through API and I have no regrets to this day! If you’re looking for independent living but with a family atmosphere, choose API. The roommates I was placed with are my best friends today, therefore, there’s no need to worry about ‘bad’ roommates when API is choosing! Financially, API was cheapest for me as well which made everything better! Even with this program being cheaper than the rest, they still offered about three weekend vacations and some local tours with the program that was all paid for. I can’t imagine studying with anyone and I have nothing bad to say about this program. From the advisors, to our program mates and apartments everything exceeded my expectations.

Studying in Rome was wonderful. With the Baroque churches, ancient ruins, palazzos, and the infinite amount of fountains, there's no doubt in my mind that Rome was the right place for me. As an art history student, I think it was a more informative city to study in than Italy's other popular study abroad destination, Florence. With that city, there's only one era that you can really delve into: the Renaissance. You see, the thing with Rome is that is has the Renaissance and even more - lots more. Anyways, I'm a Baroque guy. Caravaggio is one of my obsessions. In Rome you'll see not only his paintings but other masterpieces done in the Italian Baroque style.

OK, that's enough about art history... for now. What you need to know about is the program itself.

First things first, if you decide to choose API's program at JCU, you'll be spending your time in Trastevere. Narrow cobblestone streets, hanging vines and a festive atmosphere are what this neighborhood is about. It's very medieval too. (Take that Renaissance Florence!).

That being said, you're probably going to live on the outskirts of Trastevere. Most people I knew in the program - including myself - lived in apartments that were more in Monteverde, not Trastevere. (Monteverde is a more residential and developed area; it's not a big tourist destination, although do check out the Villa Pamphili - it's so cool!). Again, your apartment will only be on the edge and not that deep into Monteverde itself, but if you're observant you'll definitely notice a difference. I don't think this will detract from your experience. I just don't want anyone to expect to be in an apartment with a view overlooking a piazza in Trastevere. In any case, given how active the nightlife is, you probably wouldn't want to have to deal with all that commotion.

JCU is a good school. I'm not entirely sure why the "academics" rating is lower in comparison to the other ones. Since all of the other reviews are 5+ years old, it may be that things have changed. I would say my classes were pretty serious. If you expect to not be challenged, then expect otherwise. Again, I'm an art history major, and all of the classes I took dealt with that subject. They were really incredible classes. Two of them were on-site. That means that, instead of being in a normal classroom, Rome is your classroom! You would spend your time going to any number of sites in Rome. It can be much better than sitting in a darkened classroom while watching a PowerPoint. I really recommend taking a class like that if you're interested.

As far as support on-site goes, the resident directors, Alessio and Naike, are absolutely terrific. I remember going to their office to ask a simple question and Alessio being so friendly and helpful. Even though he didn't have to, he talked to me a lot about my interests and his favorite region in Italy, Emilia-Romagna, and how hyped he was about our excursion to Siena in particular - take that Florence! (I kid, I kid.)

And that's another thing: the excursions are fantastic. I remember speaking to someone who was studying through ISA and being unimpressed by their quality of excursions. Not to worry though, Alessio and Naike will always have something special planned. Our first excursion was to the Amalfi coast (so Sorrento, Capri and nearby Pompeii). There was also one to Tuscany where we saw a medieval wine cellar and had a wine tasting afterwards. Then there were ones in Rome like attending an opera or going to a soccer game.

There was also one to Florence. I didn't go.

Other advice? If you're thinking of LDM vs JCU, I would not go with the former. From what I could tell, very few people were in the LDM program. I think there were only five or so. If exceptionally small classes are your thing and if you want to do an internship, then look into it. Otherwise, go with JCU.

It's only been a year and I miss living in Rome and going to my on-site classes.

(And don't worry, I've been to Florence, it's a nice city, just not my cup of tea.)

My time in Rome with API was a phenomenal experience. Even though I had never taken a semester of Italian before leaving, the program directors made me feel right at home and it did not take long to get acclimated. My apartment was beautiful, it had an amazing granite lobby and it was very spacious. I didn't need to worry about anything except for towels; the apartment was fully furnished, had a fully stocked kitchen, and I was even provided with sheets and a comforter. The location of my apartment was perfect, I was about a 15-20 minute walk to John Cabot University and lived next across the street from Villa Doria Pamphili, which is one of Rome's largest public parks. The nearest grocery store was a 5 minute walk down the street and I also lived right next to the bus stop, which allowed me to easily travel to the downtown area.

As for the school, it wasn't as challenging as my university at home. The teachers were probably the most passionate people I had ever met; they deeply cared about the subjects they were teaching and had such a unique perspective when explaining things. The school was very safe, there were guards at the door and it was right next to a military checkpoint.

As for API, I can't stress how fantastic they were. The weekend excursions scattered throughout the semester were slices of Italy I never would have seen on my own. It was the perfect balance of interest tours during the day and the freedom of personal time at night. The woman in charge of the Rome office were incredibly knowledgeable about any question I could ask. When I was afraid to get my hair cut because of my lacking Italian skills, they took me to their favorite salon and literally dictated what I wanted done and stayed with me to ensure nothing got lost in translation.

As a whole, my time in Rome was a definite life changer. Because of my time there, I've decided to move to Europe this summer for graduate school.

I loved studying abroad in Roma! Api was one of the reasons I had such a great semester. The program leaders were always there for you. One day, my roommate and I thought we had a gas leak. We called one of the program leaders and she called maintenance and got someone to come over that day. She also checked up later to make sure everything was ok. The Api excursions were great! They were very planned out but still gave us time to explore on our own. I wish everyday that I could relive the 4 months I spent living in Italy!

Studying abroad in Rome at John Cabot was amazing. API could not have done any better. There was always somebody to help me, both at home and abroad. The Orientation materials were great and very informational. Rome is a beautiful city filled with a variety of venues. You could never be bored there. I tried to see as much as I could, but you'd have to be Roman to see it all! The Vatican is breathtaking. You can just stare at it for hours. Make sure to see Rome from the top of St. Peters; there isn't a better view of Rome. Check out all that Rome has to offer and stuff yourself with Gelato!

Every day I would walk the 40 minutes to class instead of taking the bus because I loved just walking in Rome. I felt like I got to see more by walking, and the second half of the trip I would walk by the Tiber River. My on-site classes would go around the city, and we would learn about ancient through modern Roman art and architecture while actually there!

I think I can speak on behalf of my entire program when I say that API provided us with nothing but excellent service throughout the duration of our program. During the pre-departure phase, we received prompt follow-ups as well as information about our program that made the weeks leading up to the trip extremely smooth, allowing us to spend our last days at home comfortably.

Once the program began, their on-site advisors Christine and Audra were nothing but great. They had a genuine interest in our well-being and made us feel very comfortable and at ease in our new environment. API definitely picked some good on-site advisors for this Rome program! Also, during the time abroad, our scheduled excursions allowed us to better connect with the group that we traveled abroad with and get some sightseeing done, without having to worry about making any of the arrangements. There were no hidden fees while abroad, nor were there any problems when it came time to housing.

The trip as a whole was amazing and I can honestly say that API, paved the road for one unforgettable summer abroad. It is for that reason that I am writing this review today, to say 'gratzie' for the irreplaceable friends and great memories that I made abroad. It would not have been possible without the organization and care that you all put into setting up your study abroad programs. Bottom line, study abroad with API, they're amazing!