Worst Study Abroad Ever May 05, 2022
By A student (BFA Acting, Boston University) - abroad from 01/19/2022 to 04/23/2022 with
Accademia dell'Arte: Arezzo - Performing Arts in Tuscany
This was not worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I wish I could give 0 stars. This program was not intense. The hours were just long. The professors had little to no real-world experience. The school spaces were tiny for our 20 person class size, and people often got hurt trying to do the work in such a small, unorganized space. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The student life coordinator was the most unhelpful person I have ever met. The administration tried to make me pay for damages to a room that was not mine because she did not like me. I stayed inside for lunch some days because of my allergies and they told me I was "retreating away from other students" and gave me B's, even though half of our classes had already ended. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We arrived to no running water for days. We could not shower or use the toilets. The wifi was consistently horrid. There were no chairs in our mask-making class so we had to stand for four hours straight every day. There was only one washer because the other was broken. The dryers were broken. |
| * Food: |
The food started good but got worse over time. Dinner was often only liquids. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were in class so much of the day I can count on my hands how many times I was able to go into town. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The program handled healthcare and COVID horribly. They said they would have an "on-site" doctor but they lied. There was no nearby doctor. When a handful of students got COVID, they were not allowed to go outside for weeks, even when other students were in class. Administration stopped letting people test for COVID so that symptomatic people were forced to go to class and endanger others. |
| * Safety: |
Students were sexually assaulted by professors. The city was safe. The program was not. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Not only was the program unsafe to attend, but it was also frustrating trying to convince the people in charge that I did not feel safe or like I was learning anything. They provided no real education at a 30,000 cost. We had almost no time to travel during the program. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
The city was pretty expensive. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | This program will make me never want to go back to Italy. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
