In summer of 2015, I had the most amazing opportunity to study abroad in Rome for 6 weeks. I planned for months. I read every informational website out there about what to bring, how to say simple phrases, and what to look out for. But nothing could prepare me for my experience, other than experiencing it myself, and it was nothing like how I read. Because of this, I feel a wholehearted obligation to inform those who are thinking about studying abroad in Italy, or who are preparing to study abroad in Italy, a realistic view of what to expect that these blogs will not tell you.

• No matter how many dollars you convert to Euro, you will never have enough for your whole trip, so research sister banks to make your trip easier.

Before I went to Rome, I converted $400 to Euro, which gave me about 270 Euro. I thought I had enough for weeks, but I knew I would need more eventually. Banks in Rome are money-suckers and target foreigners completely. If you don't research your bank's sister banks, you will end up paying a 5% conversion rate every time you take out money, plus an additional fee for even using a bank that's not associated with your American bank. If you bank doesn't have a sister bank abroad, take out large quantities of money at a time so you're not forking out an extra 5% fee for a couple bucks.

• You will rarely be able to use anything but cash Euro.

To follow the first bullet point, convert as much to Euro as you can. Rome is very traditional and you won't find many places that accept debit or credit cards. Some restaurants and clothing stores will, but bars, cabs, and markets won't.

• The time difference hurts.

The time difference between the East Coast in the States and Italy is 6 hours, and is rough the first couple days. Your flight from the U.S. to Italy might say something like "Arrival time: 9:06 a.m." This means it's 9:06am in Italy, and actually means it's 3am in America. You will feel it, and it will take about a week to recover from the jet lag. The key is to drink a lot of water and sleep when you're tired. Don't force yourself to make it through the day; you will adjust eventually.

• Breakfast.

Breakfast in Italy is strange thing that I had trouble adjusting to initially. In Italy, breakfast is not a big thing, in fact, most Italians don't eat breakfast at all. If you stop at a Bar (usually a breakfast place with simple and quick to-go things) in the morning, you will find nothing more than donuts, pastries, espresso, and cappuccinos. However, if you know where to look, you can find eggs and pancakes. In Flaminio, there's a corner store right across from the Piazza del Popolo entrance, and they serve iced coffee. The first time I went in, I had a week and half left of my trip, and i ordered an iced coffee with milk (no flavored creamer here) and sugar. The waiter begins to put milk in it and then puts in one sugar. Naturally, I put in 3 more sugars, and he asks me if my heart is gonna be okay... ah. Another place you can get an "American" breakfast in Rome is in Trastevere, easily accessible through public transportation, if you find yourself going through withdraw.

• The grocery stores have mysterious and smaller products in them.

The grocery store was a very strange place for me the first time I went to it. Absolutely everything was in Italian. The products have pictures on them, but you really won't know what it is it until you get home and try it. When it comes to toiletries and packaged food, it's all smaller. Shampoo is about half the size of a normal shampoo in America, and double the price. Be prepared to buy deodorant that is the size of a travel deodorant. It is an exciting yet odd process that you'll have to go through every few weeks.

• You will find quality bottles of wine for 1 Euro. Cherish each one of them.

Yes, 1 Euro (which equals to about $1.20) bottles of wine are very real and easily accessible.

• There are American clubs and there are Italian clubs. Go to the Italian clubs.

I spent my entire first week going to the American bars, as most Americans do when visiting Rome. There's a ton of them, especially in Trastevere, but I promise you, nothing will get older than only meeting American boys and creepy older Italian men. In the Campo dei Fiori area of Rome, you'll find Italian clubs everywhere that will expose you to some of the great nightlife culture that Rome has to offer. And with that being said...

• Make American friends, but also make Italian friends.

When I studied abroad, there were some who didn't do much more than go to American bars and meet American friends their entire trip. Cool for them. But I promise, you will regret nothing more than limiting yourself to American everything. I've met some amazing American friends abroad, that are still my friends today. But the highlights of my weeks were going to Italian clubs, meeting Italian women and men, and talking about their culture with them. They shared with me their views of American culture and we cracked the myths of what we think each other's cultures were like. We danced, we enjoyed ourselves, and my experience would've never been the same without them.

• Travel everywhere.

European travel is cheap and if you don't take advantage of it, will be an opportunity you may never get again. When I studied in Rome, everyone I knew had trips planned out for months, and I wasn't ready at all to do it on my own. Eventually, I worked up the courage to make a commitment and travel, so I decided to travel to Barcelona and the Amalfi Coast (both EXTREMELY recommended for anyone going to Rome). To Barcelona, I paid 140 Euro for a round trip flight and 30 Euro for a 2 night hostel... almost a fifth of what you would pay in America for a round trip flight and hotel. For 8 Euro, you can get a round trip one-hour train ticket to the beautiful beach of Santa Marinella, and for 40 Euro, you can purchase a round-trip ticket to Florence. For a small 35 Euro, you can get an unlimited monthly metro and bus pass, almost half of what you would pay for an unlimited monthly subway and bus pass in Philadelphia. With this unlimited monthly metro and bus pass, you can get almost anywhere in Rome, leaving your options endless to what you can see and explore.

• If something doesn't have a price on it, do not buy it for what the salespeople say.

Especially in Pompeii, nothing in the markets had prices. Because they knew Pompeii was a tourist attraction, the salesmen and women would make up numbers for all of the products. Do not trust them. One salesman tried to sell my a tee shirt that was screen-printed saying "Pompeii," for 20 Euro (which is equivalent to about $32...for a tee shirt). I got him to down to selling me the tee shirt for 9 Euro (about $12) in less than 1 minute. Think before buying; they will try and take advantage of you being a foreigner.

• Don't skip class, don't skip site visits, and don't skip excursions.

Temple University, especially, blesses all of its study abroad students with site visits and excursions to the most famous, beautiful and historical sites in and around Rome. Some may be on a Tuesday but some may be on a Friday. Don't skip them, no matter how hungover or jet lagged you are.

• Be weary of Italian men.

Though some are very kind and respectful, some are very in-your-face. Be skeptical of them and don't trust just anyone. Say 'no' when something is unwanted, and many will back off immediately. They know you are American, and they will think you are naive because of it.

• Try something that you've never tried before.

In Rome, I went to this cute little restaurant next to my hotel called Oscar's. They had pasta and risotto, but you don't wanna be caught up in the same thing every day. Instead, I decided to try their grilled octopus with pureed potatoes and bean spouts.. it was delicious.

• You will walk A LOT.

Myself and all of my roommates had to buy new shoes in Rome due to us underestimating the amount of walking we had to do. Bring sneakers, bring other comfortable shoes. You will not want to be wearing cute suede loafers that give you blisters while walking 2 miles to the Piazza del Popolo and back (true story).

• Visit the Vatican.

Regardless of your views on religion, I think the majority of people think the Vatican is awesome. Schedule a tour, see the Sistine Chapel. Every other Wednesday, the Pope blesses the the crowd of people who come through. If you happen to be there on one of those Wednesdays (like I was), you will understand how big of a deal that is.

• Try every gelato place. And research some of the famous ones nearby.

I'll just leave you with a picture of a strawberry and dark chocolate gelato with homemade whipped cream.

• Say yes to every opportunity, and be out and about every chance you can.

Whether that's going to see a soccer game at the Olympic Stadium, buying a shirt that's "Made in Italy," or talking to that stranger on the metro, be active. Don't stand by and let your trip pass you by. Experience everything (safely and carefully, of course) and go out of your comfort zone. Many people will never get this opportunity. It is a once in a lifetime experience, that you may never get to do again. Live it to the fullest, whether that's spending an extra couple Euros on that trip or trying seafood risotto for the first time (it's amazing and delicious and I promise you'll want it every day after).