Plan II in Rome, 2009 Student Reviews
Plan II Instructor: Karl Galinsky, Cailloux Centennial Professor of Classics and University Distinguished Teaching Professor
Participating Students, 2008:
Angela Barratt (Plan II), Andrew Cross (Plan II, Electrical Engineering honors), Priya Hora (Plan II, Civil Engineering honors), Dhananjay Jagannathan (Plan II, Classics, Philosophy, Linguistics), Amanda Jones (Plan II, Psychology, Management), Matt Jones (Plan II, Communication Studies), Amanda Longoria (Plan II, Nutrition), James Magown (Plan II, Pre-Sport Management), Cheuk Ng (Plan II, Music), Ashley Park (Plan II, Art History), Harrison Powers (Plan II, English), Megan Sanders (Plan II, Psychology), Anne Thompson (Plan II), Elaine Wang (Plan II, English), Sherry Yao (Plan II, Psychology, Pre-med)
Participants' Perspectives
The classes were
perfect in that they were classes that we wouldn't have been able to
take in Austin. Museum and site visits didn't supplement the class;
they
were the class…The biggest asset was definitely Professor Galinsky,
who always seemed to know exactly what he was doing, where we were going,
what we were looking at, etc., at any given time… I would definitely
recommend it to any Plan II student.
Matt Jones
I
really enjoyed every aspect of it – our classes, my
peers, the apartments and neighborhood where we stayed, the places we visited,
and the people we talked to… I liked how both classes changed how
I thought about Rome.
I also really enjoyed studying with other Plan II
students. We got along well right away and were very close by the end of
the program. Having such smart and interesting people on the trip added a
lot. My friends offered perspectives from their own fields of interest – whether
Latin, art history, 
English, classics, or engineering – which made
for interesting discussions.
Besides the people, one of the things I liked
most about the trip was that I really came to understand Rome as a city.
Through our classes we learned its history and talked about its future, but
in our ample free time we also explored the city ourselves. It was exciting
to know my way around after the first week or so, between our class excursions
and our own walks around Rome. It was especially nice when I was familiar
enough with Trastevere, our neighborhood, that it felt like home. Overall,
this program was fantastic and by far one of my favorite learning experiences.
Megan Sanders
Our
four weeks in Rome were packed with amazing sites and adventures, all with
great faculty and staff (both from UT and AIRC) along to help you get the
most out of everything you see…We saw pretty much
everything there is to see in Rome, and got credit for two Plan II classes
on the way. Of course, we didn’t spend all our time eating gelato and
site seeing; we worked hard for our classes, too. There was quite a bit of
reading for each class day, and a lot of writing each week… The short
length of the program explained the tight schedule,… but its current
length allowed for trips on your own before and after, or getting back home
with enough time to work some or catch the second summer session. It was
definitely not a program where you are completely immersed in the culture
as you are with language-focused, semester-long programs, but it was a great
way to explore a country without needing to learn the language,nd
I enjoyed myself immensely. The classes, though intense, were interesting
and informative; the professors, friendly and knowledgeable; the experience,
unforgettable!
Amanda Jones
Remember your sunscreen, a pair of jeans, really comfy
shoes and ziploc bags! 
La Dolce Vita
A dorm room in Rome
Prepare
to be amazed daily....in fact, many times a day
Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty
