Living in Rome is an experience like no other. From the history of the city to the aesthetic beauty of the architecture, Rome is truly one of a kind. For the first few days after arriving, you will find yourself wandering around in awe, overwhelmed by the sights, sounds and smells of your new surroundings. As soon as you step off the plane at the Leonardo Da Vinci airport, you will notice many things that are much different than what you are used to. Hoards of people crowding around the cash register at a café - lines don’t exist in Italy. Taxi drivers screaming at each other in some undecipherable dialect, endless traffic jams, intense heat. Men in ridiculously tight jeans. Who are these people?

Throw away everything you take for granted back home - customer service, punctuality, efficiency. Things work differently here, and at a much slower pace. The best way to adapt is to have an open mind, and be willing to accept things as they come. After all, the main reason most people come to study here is to experience a new culture, and with that comes an ability to change your perspective on life.

There are so many things to see and do in Rome, it would literally take a lifetime to do it all. Once you have familiarized yourself with your new home, remember what brought you here-a sense of adventure, a thirst for knowledge, a cultural experience.

In order to live and study in Rome, you must have a good balance of activities. Since the majority of students at AUR are semester study abroads, this leads to the notion of an all expenses paid, four month vacation. While this is partially true, it is important to keep up with one’s studies, in order to fully benefit from the AUR experience.

Students may come here expecting to find easy courses that they can breeze through. However, this is not the case. AUR offers challenging courses, and our professors are highly trained and experienced in their respective fields, and have high academic standards.

A few words of advice for new and prospective students: One, time management skills are essential. If you plan on traveling on the weekends, make sure that you are caught up on your assignment, papers and group projects. This will save you much stress the night before everything is due. Secondly, when a reading or project is assigned, do it as soon as possible, for the school weeks seem to fly by, and responsibilities pile up very quickly. This will enable you to explore the vibrant culture without sacrificing your grades. A happy medium can be found, and is based on your commitment to what you choose to do.

Although classes are taught within the walls of our beautiful campus, there is a whole world of knowledge awaiting you in the city. There is so much to learn just wandering through the streets of the eternal city. So make sure that you study hard, and everything else will fall into place.

- Jake Campeau, Resident AUR Student, Communications Major