Perugia: Not as Great as I Hoped, but Not Bad Either Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I thought the workload fairly easy. I took three creative classes and one language class, so I did have a good amount of out-of-the-classroom work, especially for photography. But I don't regret having spending so much time on it, because it was something I had always wanted to learn. I liked all of my professors and found them all extremely helpful and engaging.

On-site administration of your program

I didn't interact much with the administration, but when I did, they were perfectly friendly. I heard other people talking about having problems with them, but I never did. I liked that the program was small, but I did not like many people in the program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We had the worst bathroom. I liked our apartment, we were fairly lucky for there to only be three of us, as most others lived in apartments of 4-6 people, but it was extremely tiny and not well furnished with cookware. I didn't get along great with my roommates, they were perfectly nice and friendly, but we were just very different people. I should not have been put in a room with an early bird, when I am a night owl. That caused tension. However, our landlord was the sweetest old man, and he provided us with linens and cleaning supplies.

I was in Italy. Of course the food was great. Io, la music, e tu was the best restaurant in Perugia, no matter what anyone else tells you. Better even than Dal mi cocco. It was right around the corner from my apartment, and I went there frequently. The owner is the nicest man, who quit being a jazz pianist to open up this restaurant. He often gave us free dessert or drinks, or gave us discounts. The atmosphere was wonderful, with jazz music always playing in the background. Order the pear-gorganzola pasta. It is the best thing you will ever eat.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Eurochocolate is ridiculous. Be prepared to not be able to walk anywhere the weekends it's going on. And to get chocolate'd out. The Perugia Film Festival was an awesome opportunity I got to have, as a film major. It was free because it was a preview for the real festival in March, and I was grateful that I got to go.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Well, everyone making Amanda Knox jokes before I went was not helpful. I personally never had to go to the doctor while there, so I don't know anything about that. I never felt unsafe walking alone in Perugia at night. I never had anything stolen. Just be smart.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

As someone who went to Italy speaking no Italian whatsoever, they did a good job of teaching us. I have never been great at speaking languages, I'm much better at comprehension than conversation, but since it was necessary in Perugia to speak Italian, I learned. In bigger cities English was used a lot more, but in Perugia, not a lot of English was spoken. Most of the time people would recognize that I could speak some Italian, and they could speak some English, and we got through a conversation with a mix of both. I enjoyed going to the TANDEM events, and found the language practice useful.

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• Apartment

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• International Students

• The film class

• Housing placements