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\nRU in Rome Student Advice
\nTo the class of RU Rome, Summer 202X,<\/p>\n
\nRU in Rome Student Advice
\nTo the class of RU Rome, Summer 202X,<\/p>\n
First off, welcome to Rome! This city is beautiful, don\u2019t be afraid to wander. You will have time
\nenough to find yourself at home. You are here to learn, obviously, but you\u2019re also here to find
\nyour way, if only for a little while, and make a home away from home. Come as you are; Learning
\nyour \u2018please\u2019, \u2018thank you\u2019 and \u2018another bottle of the water for the table\u2019s will serve you well,
\nbut this is a cosmopolitan city, and there are no stakes if you try your best and still slip up.<\/p>\n
Learn your local grocery stores. Drink the coffee at the nearby cafe or tabacchi, it\u2019s always
\ncheaper there. Wherever they\u2019ve got a standing counter. Find those capital \u2019T\u2019 signs – tabacchi,
\nalso – they\u2019re like bodegas, but better. Buy your bus tickets there, they\u2019re also your metro
\ntickets. Weather permitting, take walks; You will want to get a little lost. The days will crawl
\nby, slowly, but the month will go by quick. Try to live it like you\u2019ll never be back, play the
\nneophyte and the tourist. If you\u2019re not planning on going for Art History, make a point to visit
\nchurches and galleries, drink in the grand facades, gawk at fountains and statues.<\/p>\n
And of course, eat well! Don\u2019t just eat Italian food, though my recommendation to check off every
\npasta on the typical menu before you leave comes straight from experience.
\nDrink house wines. Find what the immigrants are cooking, eat that too. Buy fruit in season. The
\ncity is best enjoyed over dinner and in museums. Keep an open mind, stay up late, go to clubs. Feel
\nfull, a little stressed, tired in the mornings, call your parents and miss them if you can. These
\nfeelings will ground you in your new environment, you\u2019ll learn to trust yourself as a constant,
\neven in your new environment. With these hedonistic tools in your belt, you\u2019ll do fine. The rest is
\nup to you.<\/p>\n
Try your best. Enjoy!<\/p>\n
This program has taught me a lot about myself and about other people.
\nNo matter what I was doing, I feel like I learned more about myself within every minute. I\u2019m
\nleaving Rome with a better understanding of who I am and who I want to be. RU in Rome was easily
\none of the best decisions I’ve made in college and I wish I could go back and tell the me that was
\nfreaking out, nervous to leave home a month ago, that
\neverything would work out perfectly. I have met some of the most amazing, kind and
\nfunny people on this trip and I know they will be around for me even after. My advice to you is to
\nnot be afraid to take the first step and to enjoy every moment the best you can. Living in Rome has
\nbeen an experience I could never and will never forget, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to
\nstudy abroad and hope to do it again soon.
\nI would look into traveling before or after your original program dates. Whether its solo or with a
\nfriend, I think it could be a great opportunity to explore and enjoy yourself in addition to the
\nprogram. It\u2019s something that I didn’t get the chance to do, but I hope you will.
\nI would also give you the advice of know yourself. Have an idea of what you want to do and where
\nyou want to see, any extra excursions you’re willing to take, don’t be afraid to reach out to
\npeople beforehand and try to make a plan.
\nLastly, don’t be afraid of making friends. I was the only person within the program that goes to a
\ndifferent campus and I knew nobody. I was terrified going in. I reached out to one other girl who
\nmentioned she wanted to travel throughout the program and we talked beforehand. We ended up getting
\nreally close over the past month and traveled to other places in italy.
\nOverall, traveling while young is an amazing experience and I wouldn\u2019t change my decision of going
\non this trip for the world. I’m leaving with so many memories and overall happiness that I wouldn’t
\nhave gotten if I didn’t take the first step.
\nDon’t be afraid to take the first step<\/p>\n
Dear future Ru in Rome student,<\/p>\n
Congratulations on embarking on this journey in Rome. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience
\nthat you will never forget. Your month here will feel like a week, yet the bonds and memories you
\ncreate will last a lifetime. Say yes to everything (within reason) try new food, wander the city,
\nand talk with the locals. Leave everything you know about home behind and allow your mind to grow.
\nHave fun, but also don\u2019t fall behind on your studies. You\u2019re here to experience the city and learn
\nabout its beauty through language, art, and food. Try every form of pasta, as much pizza as
\npossible, and visit Mcdonald’s at least once. Plan what you\u2019ll see beforehand, and do not be held
\nback by others to go where you want. Get to know your professors and peers and take in every
\nmoment. You are extremely lucky to be apart of this program, don\u2019t take anything from granted.<\/p>\n
Dear Future RU in Rome Student,<\/p>\n
While leaving what you know for an entire month may sound extremely scary, this experience is one
\nthat people say you will remember forever. This program is not for the weak since it is intensive,
\nwith classes crammed into four weeks. However, in the end, it only changes you for the better.
\nNothing I\u2019ve ever done could\u2019ve prepared me for this trip, which is a good thing. It pushed me so
\nfar out of my comfort zone that I feel like a better-developed version of myself. I pushed past
\nboundaries I never thought were possible. While a good night’s sleep is not on the itinerary for
\nthis trip, what you get instead are countless memories and unforgettable adventures. If you allow
\nyourself to embrace every challenge, reward, emotion, and experience, you will have the best
\nopportunity to discover who YOU truly are. I would never say this trip was easy, but I didn\u2019t come
\nto Italy to have it easy. I got to do so much in four weeks that I never would have thought
\npossible. Honestly, this trip gave me a completely different perspective on life. It made me
\nrealize that anything I want to do, I can do. There are endless possibilities and chances for you
\nto create your own story. I did the internship track and could see parts of Rome in the tourist’s
\neyes. Rome started to feel like home, especially when I would travel on the weekends. I got to see
\nRome, Naples, Pompei, Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Capri, and Positano, all while working, doing
\nschool, and having a good time experiencing everything Italy offers. This program is structured to
\nthrough you right into the Italian lifestyle, and you pick up on it very quickly. You are so busy
\nthat you don\u2019t have time to be homesick.
\nKnowing that this program is only a month makes you appreciate being here because, in a short time,
\nyou are going to be gone. I can\u2019t believe I\u2019m writing about my experience because that means it has
\ncome to an end. Coming here felt like I had an eternity, and now it is time to go home. I have met
\nthe most incredible, gracious, and unique people on this trip. The friends I have made in my RU in
\nRome program are people I will be bonded with forever. We all are the only ones who know what our
\nexperiences were like, and that alone keeps an invisible string connecting everyone forever. This
\nisn\u2019t a trip but a journey of discovery in yourself and the world around you. Now take every chance
\nand be whoever you want because this is for you. Ciao! <3<\/p>\n
Studying abroad in Rome was such a surreal and indescribable experience.<\/p>\n
Prior to studying abroad, I was never able to truly define what Italian culture is, for in America
\nwe only think of the concepts of food and family. So, I was always determined to formulate that
\ndefinition for myself and my desire to travel to Italy and to
\nRome fit in perfectly. Previously, I could have never foreseen the amount of beauty, culture, and
\nhistory within this city. After four weeks, I feel as if Rome is my home. Within the second week, I
\nfound myself referring to Rome and this apartment building as my home because that was how much
\nRome really touched me within and welcomed me in a multitude of ways. Not only have I become
\ncomfortable with the Italian language, but being immersed within an Italian environment
\nsimultaneously to learning allowed me to become more efficient. In regards to the art history
\naspect of Rome, I have seen and appreciated so many extravagant works of art. Between the
\nColosseum, Trevi Fountain, Sistine Chapel, Basilica of St. John, Vatican, and more, I have seen the
\nimpact of religion, power, and love on historical works of art. However, I have to say that some of
\nmy favorite things about this trip are the smaller moments. It’s seeing the smile on a waiter’s
\nface when I try my hardest to order in Italian. It is the streets packed with people smiling,
\neating, dancing and singing to music at any and all times of the day. It is the way you can visibly
\nsee Italians valuing their life and appreciating the beauty of their home everyday. Because of all
\nof my experiences in Rome, I now am able to explain what Italian culture is. That being said,
\nItalian culture is appreciating life\u2019s gifts, filling your days with adventure, and connecting with
\nthe joyful and loving community. I advise any future student who takes on this adventure to truly
\nembrace the ups and downs of Rome and to allow yourself to form connections with the Romans for
\neven the smallest moments.<\/p>\n
Dear future student,<\/p>\n
Welcome to Italy! It\u2019s going to be a crazy ride. The next month is going to simultaneously feel
\nlike five years and five seconds.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re like me, you\u2019ll probably be going into this blind, by yourself. Don\u2019t be scared! Remember
\neveryone else is here for the same reason: to have the best summer ever.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t be shy – be friendly to everyone and invite everyone to everything. This is an amazing
\nopportunity to create a forever community. I write this at the end of my trip excited to go back
\nhome because I know my senior year at Rutgers will be filled with new forever friends.<\/p>\n
Remember to work hard, and try everything! If you\u2019re in the food track, try the weird stuff (if
\nyou\u2019re not allergic)! People have been eating this stuff for millennia and they are fine!<\/p>\n
Be bold! Get comfortable doing the uncomfortable!<\/p>\n
Please please please prioritize your friends! I know this may seem like the perfect place to start
\na romance, but it isn\u2019t! Be young and free!<\/p>\n
You\u2019re here for a month – enjoy it!<\/p>\n
Dear future RU in Rome student,<\/p>\n
Ever since I was a little girl I dreamed of the day that I would study abroad in college. I grew up
\nlistening to my mom and her stories of when she studied in Cortona, Italy, where she met some of
\nher best friends. I am so grateful that I decided to embark on this journey, I went into this
\nprogram completely alone and I am so happy to say these same strangers I now consider close
\nfriends. If I could give you some advice going into this experience, I would say to make a
\ntremendous effort to put yourself out there, and the world will be receptive in the most unexpected
\nways. Do your very best to soak in the art and culture around every street corner, and don\u2019t let
\nthe small things go unnoticed. At first, you may experience some culture shock in the way Italians
\nlive their day to day lives. No one is in a hurry and the New York and New Jersey mindset might
\nfight this ease, leaving you feeling like the world should be moving faster. I encourage you to
\nsink into this, and move at an Italian pace, because when you return home, it will be just as you
\nleft it. I am really happy that I pushed myself to go out at night as much as I could despite
\nfeeling tired and run down from class. I met some wonderful people and I\u2019m leaving with some crazy
\nstories, so I am happy that I maximized my time here. Overall, this has been such a rewarding
\nexperience, and I am leaving feeling so enriched by this unique place and the people I have met on
\nthis journey.<\/p>\n
This program is one of the most immersing and enlightening experiences I have ever had.<\/p>\n
Not only have I been exploring and navigating a culture and world that I have only read about, but
\nI have been doing the same for myself. Throughout the trip I have been challenging my notions about
\nmyself and my outlook on life through the myriad of new experiences I have had the opportunity to
\nexperience. Appreciating life for its inherent beauty, doing things I would usually be too nervous
\nto do, living with the mission to make the most of every day that comes\u2026 and I feel that being in
\nthis new place with new people has allowed me to grow into a better version of myself, and that is
\ninvaluable to
\nme. Aside from the beauty of Italy and the freedom this program has given me to see and eat almost
\nanything I could think of here, it has allowed me to see to my ability to assert myself into the
\nworld in a way that being at home has not. I share all of this with you to try and open your mind
\nto the breadth of learning that a program like this offers, and that it is so much more than just
\ncoursework. Enrich your mind, but also enrich your soul.<\/p>\n
I had thought that a month away from home would feel like a lifetime, but I had never experienced
\nso much in such a short amount of time. This trip to Italy was the first time I had ever gotten on
\na plane or even left the country. Being in Rome (and a few other cities) for a month with a whole
\nbunch of strangers I had never even talked to is definitely something that I never really planned
\non doing, though I am very grateful for this experience. Make sure to do as much as you can, but
\nalso give yourself some time to recharge and reflect. For me, the first two weeks hit me like a
\ntruck lol. I was constantly doing something every day from 8 am to 8 pm. I recommend taking photos
\nof everything or maybe even journaling. But enjoy every single day.<\/p>\n
If I can tell the RU in Rome Class next year anything\u2026 it would be this.
\n\u25e6 When you get here, explore but prioritize your sleep! You will be in a new place, probably
\nhomesick and exhausted. Grab a bite with your new friends and recharge to start the trip well. I
\nwish I prioritized sleep the first day.
\n\u25e6 While spending as much time as possible with your new friends is also essential to
\nhave some alone time. Try taking walks throughout your new neighborhood and exploring!
\nFamiliarizing yourself with the environment will make you feel more at home.
\n\u25e6 Please make a list of everything you want to do and check it off when you
\ncomplete it. You will realize how much stuff you can do in one day!
\n\u25e6 Eat out for dinner, and save money by eating breakfast and sometimes lunch in the apartment.
\n\u25e6 Try and speak the language as much as possible, this is the best way to get a better
\n\u25e6 If you are homesick, remember that this is the time for YOU. Not anybody else. Know that family
\nand home will always be there, but you can\u2019t study abroad daily with your college friends! Allow
\nyourself to be selfish!
\n\u25e6 Have access to a clock back in America, so you can know when you call your family\/freinds
\n\u25e6 Ask your family\/friends to send videos, photos, and voice memos if you feel homesick. It\u2019s a
\nreminder that all of those things are still there and waiting for you. Which will ultimate remind
\nyou that you are in ITALYYYYYYY!!
\n\u25e6 Don\u2019t take days off, but take a 12 hr break (5pm-5am). It is impossible to never take a break
\nand enjoy every part of Rome. Your body will choose a time to rest if you don\u2019t allow it too.
\n\u25e6 You will walk everywhere. So bring a good pair of walking shoes that match every
\noutfit you can wear.
\n\u25e6 Leave extra room in your suitcase so you can bring stuff home. Bring toiletries that you can
\nthrow away in Rome and buy toiletries here to come back home with
\n\u25e6 Take so many pictures. Of everything, even the mundane stuff. You will be able to relive them.
\n\u25e6 If you are in AH, read as much as possible about everything you will see. It is the best way to
\nappreciate what you are seeing truly.
\n\u25e6 Be open to new experiences. Don\u2019t stay in the room all day, go out and see the city. There is
\ntruly nothing like it in America.
\n\u25e6 Make as many friends as possible.
\n\u25e6 Plan excursions to explore, but dont spend the whole month traveling. You will spend more time
\nthan you realize going from place to place and not absorbing it.
\n\u25e6 Explore as if you will never come back, but don\u2019t be hard on yourself if you can\u2019t do everything
\non the list. You will be able ot come back, we just don\u2019t know when.
\n\u25e6 GO TO VENICE! Take every opportunity to go since it is sinking. My friends and I went afte the
\nFlorence trip since we were already there. That is the one thing that I would say is the most
\nimportant thing.
\n\u25e6 Journal!!!!!!!! DOnt force it, just have something besides your phone to capture.
\n\u25e6 Have fun!!!!<\/p>\n
Dear future RU in Rome student,
\nWelcome!!!!!! you\u2019re gonna have so much fun here. Rome in the summer can be brutal in a lot of
\nways, but from personal experience all of the hardships and obstacles just make the good times that
\nmuch more worthwhile. In true Rutgers fashion, the work will be hard. You\u2019ll be constantly moving
\nand walking (lotsss of walking) but with every new place you go will be something new scholars have
\nbeen studying for centuries or a sculpture that was one of your history textbooks years ago or
\nsomething someone out there (maybe even you) has been dying to see their entire life. So soak it
\nall up, pay attention to every lecture your instructors give to you because everything will
\nactually come up at some point while being here, and use every single moment as a learning
\nopportunity. You may choose to travel around which obviously was amazing every time I was able to
\ndo it here, but also don\u2019t forget to maximize all of the time you have in rome too, because it\u2019s
\nhuge and you\u2019ll never be able to reach every single destination within its
\nborders, and there\u2019s always more. it\u2019s an incredible city and there\u2019s always something to do. in my
\nopinion, the people make the place. even if you find yourself hating rome and not wanting to ever
\nbe here again (which i think would be very difficult) spend your time making connections and
\ngetting to know everyone in your study abroad group. even the ones not in your classes and the ones
\nyou didn\u2019t immediately feel drawn to. i could\u2019ve been placed in any city in the world and i would
\nstill be able to have fun with the group of people i\u2019ve met on this trip. surround yourself with
\npeople that want to make the most of the trip, and the rest will fall into place. that\u2019s my biggest
\npiece of advice, become as close as you can with the most people you can from this trip. the days
\nwill feel crazy long, trust me it can sometimes be grueling, but this month as a whole will feel
\nlike it flew by. four weeks is really, on the grand scheme of things, teensy tiny amount of time in
\nyour life. and it\u2019s safe to assume that you\u2019ll never be in rome at a time like this, young and in
\ncollege with limited responsibilities to fully immerse yourself in the culture and people that
\nyou\u2019re with here. enjoy it, i wish I could do it all again!!!!<\/p>\n
Dear next year\u2019s RU in Rome student,<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re nervous about being here, that is totally understandable! I know it might sound cliche,
\nbut this truly will be a life-changing time for you. I did the Art History track, so I got to see
\nso many parts of the city, but if you\u2019re taking a different course, give yourself enough time to
\nexplore. Also, you will sweat like never before, so keep that in mind too. The people you meet here
\nwill be ingrained in your memory forever. I came with my best friend and am leaving knowing more of
\nthe most amazing people I have ever met. Do not take making those personal connections for granted.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t freak out when you\u2019re in a taxi\u2026all Italians drive like that; it\u2019s like a puzzle. Go out with
\nyour friends, you\u2019ll sleep later, and you\u2019ll have a great time. Travel on free weekends!!!!! The
\ntrains are so nice here, and the sights are worth it. At the same time, give yourself some time to
\nslow down because you\u2019ll always be on the go from the minute you wake up to when you go to sleep. I
\nrarely sit down in my room.<\/p>\n
The month will feel like it’s passing by slowly while you\u2019re in it, but once you look back on it,
\nyou\u2019ll realize how much happened in such a short amount of time. Always live in the moment. This
\ntrip truly changed my life for the better. No matter the inevitable drama, the people you go with
\nbecome your family, and the city becomes your home (even for just a short while). I will miss being
\nhere so much, but I am so excited to retell these memories for the rest of my life. And I\u2019m excited
\nfor you, whoever you are, that
\nyou get to have this experience for the first time. Enjoy it!!!!!!!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"