This fall, three friends and I will be spending the semester in Italy studying at the American University of Rome. I am super excited to be able to explore a new part of the world and spend four months having adventures with friends. But, before I hop on the plane, there’s a few things I need to take care of first.
Since I decided that I wanted to go to Italy for a semester, I have been saving as much money as I can. Because I will be living in an apartment there, I will need to buy groceries and household supplies on top of other expenses like traveling and souvenirs. I have been working part-time and babysitting to save up so I can do and see more overseas.
While classes were in session, I worked with the study abroad advisor to figure out my classes and housing. American University of Rome provides off-campus housing in apartment complexes around the city of Rome. My friends and I will hopefully be living in an apartment together when we arrive as we requested, but it is not guaranteed. The school will also have vans that pick students up from the airport and will take me to the school where I will start orientation. I also spoke with financial aid to discuss the tuition for the school I will be at while abroad.
The most important thing that needed to be done was applying for a student visa. Every country requires a student visa in order to study at one of their universities. To apply for a student visa for Italy, I had to make an appointment at the Italian Consulate in Philadelphia. At my appointment I provided them with paperwork such as my application, letters from the school abroad and Cabrini, copies of my identification, passport, and much more. Applying for the visa was the most rigorous part of the entire process because of how much paperwork I needed to provide.
Lastly, I am getting in contact with my cell phone provider and bank to discuss rates while overseas. Cell phone companies provide different packages to offer people who are traveling out of the country. It is also important to contact your bank, that way they do not think somebody stole your account information or identification. There are also rates for using an ATM in other countries.
Cabrini has partnerships with schools in Ireland, England, Italy, Australia, and Semester at Sea. This partnership gives students a more affordable option to study abroad.