IES Abroad Rome

This program had it all: the freedom to travel around Europe, the ability to live with an Italian family, an inclusive and planned trip to Tuscany or Amalfi, amazing academics, but most importantly, the ability to make a difference while having a blast in la Bella Roma. I feel we became parts of the community rather than long-term tourists - we left our mark here! IES's internship program really shaped my time in Rome and helped me make an impact. I was able to get a first-hand look at the refugee crisis in Rome, through my public policy class (that had many great speakers and field trips) and my social action internship. I taught refugees English through IES, and it added such a meaningful dimension to my semester. My different IES professors were phenomenal teachers, who brought the city to us in the classroom and us out into the city on various field studies. I saw St. Peter's tomb and the underground necropolis there, I did a bike tour of Villa Borghese with my Italian class, and I visited an ethnic market in Rome's multicultural neighborhood. I never felt like I was stuck in the classroom. I also choose to live in a homestay rather than an apartment, and it was a great decision for me. I learned a lot about the Italian culture while living in the very-hopping area of Trastevere, along with other homestay students. All in all, it was a fantastic program in a breath-taking city.

My semester in Rome was incredible. Getting the opportunity to live and intern in Rome, a city I had always dreamed of visiting, was absolutely amazing. There was always something to do and another hidden treasure to find. The classes I took were interesting and actually helped to enhance my experience. There were a lot of field studies built into each class which really helped to make the class more fun and interesting. Being in Italy also made it really easy to travel to other countries. I was able to visit five other European countries while still traveling around Italy. I wish I could go back to eating incredible food and drinking fantastic wine every day. Don't ever worry about where to eat in Rome - everywhere you go has great food!

My study abroad experience was awesome. I absolutely loved my time abroad and would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I recommend IES Abroad for the student who wants to take advantage of every opportunity while abroad, because IES did an amazing job with extracurricular activities. Some of the many offerings (all at low cost!) include a 2 day pilgrimage to Assisi and the Basilica di San Francesco, cooking and baking classes, a soccer league, museum tours led by our own professors, grocery store tours, shopping excursions, pottery classes, and dinners out. These were all opportunities I would not have participated in, without such an amazing staff and program . I absolutely loved my homestay and some of my best friends that I made in the program were also in homestays, and they were located within a 5 minute walk of my home. It was awesome! i would definitely make sure to look into what classes are offered and how easy it is to get into the exact classes you want, before you choose a program. Sometimes it can be difficult to switch in due to certain classes being more popular than others. Also make sure your school will give you credit for the classes you actually end up taking!
IES Abroad made my study abroad experience truly incredible. It flew by and I can't begin to describe how much I grew and learned while abroad.

IES Abroad truly creates an Italian experience for American students. My homestay experience fully immersed me in Italian culture at home. At school, IES Abroad's wonderful professors embraced their culture and shared it with their students. The professors at IES Abroad are laid-back, kind, and caring. They want their students to succeed academically but also culturally. They encourage us to explore Rome and enjoy our free time almost as much as they encourage diligent study. I discovered new places and learned new quirks about Italian culture thanks to my professors and the IES Abroad staff.

So when I arrived in Rome it was about 5 pm and all I wanted to do was unpack and sleep... I didn't even think about what was in store as soon as I left my apartment the next morning or every day for the following 6 months! Well let me tell you about the typical day of an IES student in Rome! First, all of IES housing is in the beautiful Prati Area (basically the Upper East side of Rome)! Prati is great because you're always just about a 15 minute walk from the Vatican and St. Peter's or Castel Sant'Angelo which is right across the bridge from the IES Center! And the area behind the center is rich with history! There is the Pantheon and Piazza Navona. I am so psyched that I got to experience Rome with IES because everyday was spent among the history of Rome!... Yeah kind of geeky but, we spent most of our days studying on site... we studied the Colosseum from the site... we studied Early Christianity below Saint Peter's Basilica (literally got to see St. Peter's bones)!
During our down time, we got to take a gastronomical tour and wine tasting with IES, we had a terrace to tan or study on when we weren't in class and traveling was made easy with long weekends! You could have class in the morning at a church in Trastevere and then spend your afternoon on an Estate in Umbria (a different region)!
Looking back on my experience I wouldn't change one thing because, what was a typical day studying in Rome is a world away from a 'typical day' on any college or university campus here!

I'm so glad to have been a part of the IES Language and Areas Studies program and would recommend it to anyone who consider's studying abroad!

I loved my study abroad program and really appreciated all of the programming that IES put together. All of the classes incorporated visits to various cultural and historical sites, often requiring us to navigate the city on our own to get there. IES made sure that we were completely immersed in the culture of Italy, between the language requirements and the field trips to other parts of the country. I would definitely choose IES again!

The weather was much warmer than I expected so make sure you do your research and pack appropriately!!! I had a beautiful apartment in a great little neighborhood. Not being from the city I had to get used to the long walk (no car like I'm used to) to class and back but I grew to love it. There was great support and any questions or concerns I had were quickly answered. It will take you a little bit of time to get off the touristy areas--befriend the locals and take note to where they're going. My first day I got roped into a 30 euro bruschetta and bottled water, so definitely beware of tourist traps. Loved my classes and we had regular excursions to accompany what we were learning about. Rome was a good hub to the budget airlines, trains, and buses if you're interested in travelling outside of Rome or Italy. I fell in love with this city and can't wait to go back!

One day trip I went with my program was to Assisi, which is known for St. Francis of Assisi as well as St. Clare. We had an all-day private tour with a former IES Rome professor about the story of the town and the two saints. The tour was not preachy, but informative and beautifully told. We got to walk through history and time. It was in the off-season and the town was very tranquil. The best part was walking through a skinny and very long corridor to a tower in the fortress that topped the town. When I saw the view of Umbria below I actually gasped! It was a perfect day full of peace in churches that history built, wonder with the Italian countryside, and very delicious pizza.