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A home away from home at ACU Rome

Olivia had always wanted to travel with her ACU degree. Spending two weeks at ACU Rome turned into the trip of a lifetime.

When Olivia first applied for an international study experience, she was apprehensive. A Bachelor of Psychological Science and Laws student at ACU Melbourne, she'd always wanted to travel more, but the thought of being overseas for an entire semester felt a bit daunting.

That's when she discovered the ACU Rome program. Students from any ACU campus can spend two weeks to six months studying in Italy, getting credit towards their home degrees while immersing themselves in Italian life.

For Olivia, two weeks felt like the perfect amount of time to test the waters. That the study tour would take place on another ACU campus was a bonus.

"I thought it would be a good option to just see what studying overseas looked like," she says.

"It was great that ACU had the campus in Rome, so I'd still be at an ACU campus as opposed to another university."

Building community in the heart of Rome

When she arrived in Rome, Olivia discovered that the ACU Rome team had organised everything for her, from accommodation and meals to study and leisure activities. All she had to do was enjoy it.

She immediately became part of a cohort of students from ACU's seven Australian campuses. They lived together on campus, shared meals, studied together and spent hours exploring Rome's historic sites. That shared experience created a sense of community that made her feel instantly at home.

In the classroom, Olivia was surprised by how cohesive the learning experience felt, combining studies from the ACU Core Curriculum with opportunities to engage deeply with the local community.

She and her peers spent time learning about values, empathy and giving back to the community; in their spare time, they volunteered for a community organisation, an experience that gave them the chance to put their values into action.

"It was organised by ACU, and we were volunteering with an organisation that takes in donations and sorts them and gives them back to the community for people who need them," Olivia says.

But the classes and volunteering were just one part of the international study experience. In the afternoons and evenings, ACU Rome staff Dr Camilla Russell and Dr Zachariah Duke introduced them to the best of Rome's culture, history and food.

"We got to see so many things. I didn't expect the extracurricular activities to be so well structured and organised," Olivia says.

"Camilla would take us on night-time history tours and we'd learn things about the city of Rome by exploring. We'd also try different Italian cuisine-one night we had tiramisu, one night we had gelato, another night we had granita.

"It was just really well thought out and super exciting. There were always fun little surprises built into the experience."

Bitten by the travel bug

Now back at ACU Melbourne, Olivia is confident that her first trip to Rome won't be her last. In fact, if she had her way, she'd redo the whole ACU Rome experience from start to finish.

"I'll definitely be going back at some point," she says.

"There are so many things I would never have known if I'd just gone as a tourist. Zach has been to Rome so many times, and Camilla lives in Rome and has a degree in history, so it was a great combination.

"We had a really amazing experience there."

Take your degree to ACU Rome. With a variety of programs on offer, you can spend between two weeks and a whole semester immersing yourself in Roman life. Explore the culture, learn the language and get credit towards your studies while you do it. Talk to our study abroad and exchange team.