Eager to follow in the footsteps of a college student who studied abroad in Italy? We recently caught up with Troy from St. John Fisher University, who spent his spring semester studying abroad in the ancient city of Rome.
Discover how Troy’s study abroad experience with AIFS Abroad helped him travel throughout Europe and make lifelong friends!
Choosing a Study Abroad Program Destination & Term
Deciding where and when to study abroad can be tough for some students, especially when you consider all of the incredible options available to you with AIFS Abroad. For anyone who wants to travel throughout Europe during their study abroad program, Rome is an excellent choice, as Troy explains:
“Rome is very central in Europe. I wanted to go to Italy and also wanted to travel as much as possible and the large airport in Rome made that very easy to do.”
With AIFS Abroad, you can study abroad throughout the year—whether you want a full semester program or a short-term study abroad program, we’ve likely got a program that fits your schedule. Due to Troy’s obligations as a student athlete, spring was the only semester he could study abroad:
“I play soccer at my school in the fall, so I had to go in the spring. I enjoyed the spring a lot, especially since the weather got very nice in the second half of the term, rather than getting colder as we were there.”
To ensure he’d return home fit and ready for soccer practice, Troy got a gym membership and went on runs throughout the city.
Academics Abroad
When you study abroad, you get to enjoy an entirely new academic experience. With AIFS Abroad, you can rest assured that you’ll have courses that deepen your understanding of the material and advance your degree. Some of our programs, like Troy’s, are taught in AIFS Abroad Global Education Centers. These international educational institutions provide center-based support and hands-on learning experiences that incorporate the local culture into your studies. Hear what Troy thought of his university experience in Rome:
“It was a very small [environment], which I enjoyed because it was not difficult to navigate. I enjoyed the smaller class sizes, and it was not a far walk from my apartment.”
Below, he goes into more detail about his courses:
“There were other AIFS students in my classes. Each class was anywhere from 15 to 25 students. Classes took place Monday – Thursday until about 2:30 in the afternoon. The overall class experience was great, and I enjoyed my professors a lot.
My classes were International Marketing, Ancient Roman Architecture, Italian Food Culture and Identity, and Italian Mafias. There were 2 classes each day Monday – Thursday. The Ancient Roman Architecture field trips were amazing. We spent many classes walking around the city to different archeological sites. It was cool to hear about the ancient ruins from someone who could tell us every little detail about what we saw walking around every day.”
Making Friends Abroad
Whether you choose to study abroad with friends from your home or set out on your own is your decision, but no matter what, you’ll be set up to make friends with other students in your program, as Troy explains:
“I attended all of the included [AIFS Abroad] excursions. We went to Capri, Naples, Pompeii, Tivoli, and Sorento. Each excursion was a really great opportunity to get to the know the other students in the program and we all took full advantage of that and spent a lot of time together… After these excursions, we all started traveling together and experiencing new things and I can confidently say these are my friends for life.”
With the new friends you make during your program, you’re welcome to travel together on the weekends, like Troy did:
“I took quite a few trips with my friends. Some of the most memorable include a ski trip to Switzerland, Dubrovnik, Croatia, Greece, and Ibiza, Spain. They were all fun trips… we did a lot of activities on like ziplining, skiing, cliff jumping, boat cruises, and mountain biking.”
Language Learning
With AIFS Abroad, you are not required to be fluent in another language to study or intern abroad, as most of our classes are taught in English. Also, many AIFS Abroad programs don’t require you to take any language courses (although you’re welcome to do so if you choose!). Hear about Troy’s experience getting around Italy with mostly English and a few Italian phrases:
“I had zero Italian language [knowledge] going into my semester abroad, but I came to realize that most people around the world have English as an alternative language, so it was easy to communicate. I was able to pick up a few Italian words here and there to help me get by.”
Housing
All AIFS Abroad programs include housing. Troy was in a shared apartment with three of his friends from his home university, as he explains:
“I lived in a 2-bedroom, 1-bathroom apartment in the center of Rome with 3 of my friends that I went with from school. We had a great location in Trastevere. It was safe and had a lot of young people, as well as amazing restaurants. If we had any issues during our stay, we were able to text our landlord and he was able to help us out.”
Why AIFS Abroad?
As Troy says, one of the biggest benefits of choosing AIFS Abroad is the support you receive pre-departure, as well as the incredible on-site staff we have in every program destination:
“Having a Program Advisor was incredibly helpful during the application process, and once I was abroad, the staff on site in Rome were always available to help. They gave us travel recommendations and kept us up to date on anything going on in Europe at the time that we should know about.”
Are you a student who’s ready to take the leap and study abroad like Troy did in Rome? We’d love to help you start your journey!
Here at AIFS Abroad, we know a thing or two about helping college students study abroad. All our programs come with many beneficial inclusions, which takes a lot of the stress out of planning. From coordinating your housing to providing things like cultural and social activities, excursions, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency support, on-site staff, and more, you’ll take comfort in knowing you’ll have support throughout your entire experience abroad.
