EAP Study Abroad Program at the UC Center in Rome

Art History. Italian. Catholicism.

If you aren't prepared to learn about these things, then you're barking up the wrong study abroad program. And if you are, then prepare for an unforgettable semester abroad in the beautiful city of Rome. You'll be eating tons of great food, easy access to other Italian cities, and be immersed in one of the best cities in Europe.

The program is strict on attendance, so you will not be traveling on weekdays. So make sure you take classed with Paolo or Crispin Corrado. Best professors there, hands down. And their course have the best/most field trips. Crispin is super knowledgeable and has a great upbeat personality. Paolo is challenging, but he's worth it. Will completely change your perception of Rome and its beauty.

If I had one critique, I would recommend not using the dorm housing provided by the school. We actually did not interact with each other as much as I imagined we would. And plus, the location at Trastevere was a lot smaller than some of the apartments other students received.

The classes were very interesting and I learned a lot. Great site visits and access to a lot of places that a regular tourist would not get access to, with the resources of a great professor to guide you. A lot of work for all of the classes though, a lot of reading, and a lot of studying when it came time for exams. The teachers are great though. Very friendly and approachable. Four day weekends make it great to travel throughout Italy, and two separate one week breaks make it great to travel through Europe. The study center also has great resources and great advice on things to see in the city of Rome, as well as across Italy, and tour books for travel through Europe.

To this day I think about my experience abroad in Rome, Italy. Italy is an amazing country and Rome is an even more amazing city. Rome being such a big city, it is the perfect blend of a city life with mix of culture. Being a city girl, I felt this blend was perfect for my personality. There is so much to see and so much to do that I feel like I wasn't able to do everything in those four months. The architecture to the monuments to the Church's. But by no means was is all fun and games. Of course there is a lot of adjusting to do whether it may be to become more familiar with the Italian culture to learning directions so you won't get lost. The hardest part I had to deal with was the academic program. I am used to rigorous classes but a few classes that this program conducted were unrealistically difficult. I was stressed out a lot which didn't make my experience of being away from home for the first tim the best. Other than that though everything else was amazing. The fresh food, the open air markets at campo di fiori, the amazing flea market at the flaminio market and the night life. The city is truly beautiful from the many piazza's like piazza navona which is my favorite to the spanish steps. I truly enjoyed my time in Rome and I wish to someday live their again. It will always be a dream of mine but until then I am attempting to be fluent in Italian to better navigate myself!

Good program. Don't go expecting to be in a peaceful environment. It takes time to find those places, such as the parks and whatnot, but go there prepared! Rome is no joke.. and neither is the program. The streets are loud and chaotic, and the streets are filled, filled, filllleed with tourist. Schoolwork is pretty hard, but professors are amazing and know what they're talking about. Urban history was a good class, and if you want to learn 10 pages of notes a day from a teacher who knows her stuff top to bottom, take ancient roman civilization. Nightlife is great if you like to go out! And just as somebody said before me, don't get stuck at home on your laptop watching and keeping up with your tv shows. NOT WORTH IT. Go out and have fun, explore, and do everything at least once.. twice if you can! Eat molto gelato, pizza, and enjoy the wine! Do as much as you can and if you're ever debating between going out or staying in... I mean you're only in Italy at this time and age once.. I'm sure you can figure that one out! Caio! :)

Honestly, the academic portion of the program was rough, especially if you're not an art (history) major. I struggled a little bit in the beginning because one of the art classes's discussions was always about the Bible (duh!). But I have ZERO background in biblical figures, stories, etc. so I felt like I was taking two classes in one: Renaissance art and Christianity 101.
But if you can manage your time and get your work done early, you have PLENTY of time to have fun and go out and explore.

Some of my roommates who ended up struggling a lot (and not getting great grades) were the ones that procrastinate like they do at home, watch TV shows online for hours and finish up hw last minute, even morning of. That's fine, if you don't care to go out at night or whatever.

But honestly, you're in ROME. You're ABROAD. Once in a life time opportunity, I'm not gonna spend my time sitting in the apartment watching hours of tv shows. I'm gonna get my sh*t done so I have more free time.

Aside of the amazing sites IN Rome, it's so nice that it's relatively close to everything: Greece, Spain, France, Germany, Northern Italy, Southern Italy (Sicily too).

overall, I LOVED the program.

But the biggest thing I think is HOW YOU USE YOUR TIME.

Rome is a amazing place to study. The key word in this last sentence is STUDY. If you are serious about academics and actually want to learn something, this is a great program for you. If you want to study abroad to just have fun, this might not be a good program for you. It was amazing learning Christianity at the Vatican, having class at the monuments that I only read about in text books back home. This program is a unique one but also a very rigorous one. They did give us two full weeks of vacation during the program, but because of on site classes on weekends, it made it hard to get away. It was overall a great experience and would recommend it to any history buff.

As the headline implies, the EAP Study Abroad program in Rome is no joke. The staff here upholds a very high academic standard, including rigorous coursework and a rather strict attendance policy. I don't encourage students who can't commit to the schoolwork to apply.

However, as someone who takes joy in learning about history (especially a history as captivating as Rome's), the courses really enriched my experience. My Urban History class, for example, made even walking the Roman streets, thrilling; it sometimes dropped me into this dream state where the past was present and antiquity was suddenly all around me. It made living in Rome feel romantic and fantastical, which is really the kind of experience all travelers should seek.

Getting more into the logistics of the thing, the staff was helpful and friendly; always offering up advice on sights to see, cafes to visit, and gelato you just couldn't miss out on. I chose to stay in a private apartment and so they placed me in this sweet, little 4th floor apartment in the Monti district, a scant 10 minutes away from the Colosseum. Though the school was 40 minutes away on foot (about 20 by bus), the walk was always something to look forward to.

All in all, the program was incredibly worth every iota of thought and drop of effort I put into any of the coursework. And I can't recommend this program enough to anyone who's looking for their studies to supplement their life abroad!