Milano: The Best Memories Past Review
By Jessica T (Marketing, The University of Texas at Austin) for
Bocconi University: Milan - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I feel incredibly more aware of the world and the people in it. it's so easy to think we exist in a vaccuum. but what we dont realize is that at the exact moment, students are also studying in Australia, and eating in Brazil, and sleeping in Norway (or whatever). we are all people and i think it's so important for people to relaize how big this worl really is. if anything, studying abroad has made me realize how much more travleing i want to do. for me, the ideal was to graduate, get a good job, hopefully make good money, and plan my life based on little trips and get togethers to keep m e interested. but now that my horizons are so much more broad, i realize everything this world has to offer. is some ways i feel its troubling becuase now i will never be satisfied! so many more places i want to see and visit and life. but it was a rewarding experience and i hope i maintain my attituede now and dont get back into the typical American attudude.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
workload was extremely individially paced. it was completely up to you to maintain reading and keeping up with the class. teaching methods were more informal and lecture based. the educational system is much more independent. it is very rigorous if you want to do well. but most students waited till the very last month to do any reading. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
the administration was decent when you were in their office. but very difficult to contact by phone and not accessible. they were closed for very strange times during the day. ability to get things done seemed like a large hassel and ther admin. was very inefficient. the size of the program is quite large. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
i was very fortunate to have networked with friends to find an apartment. i ended up living with two exchange students from new zealand and australia about 15 min. walk away from campus. it was a great apartment! the area was relatively save and very close proximity to campus, the tram, bus stops, and the center shopping areas, along with a grocery store right across the stree. i was very luck though, becuase the girl from new zealand already had the apartment in mind. i met several people who had not found housing even after they arrived in milano. my landlord was awful, but that is mosly becuase leasing systems are very differnt in italy than they are here (a great deal of power lies with the landowner evidentally). if anything my roomates were incredibly nice and it worked out well. both were studying abroad for a year so they were there the semester prior. |
| * Food: |
food was amazing! since i lived right across from a grocery store i bought groceries every week and tried to eat at home as much as possible; food at restaurants and cafe's get's very expensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
most of the events i went on where trips i set up with friends, but the first time out of milan was a trip to venice that my program set up with was very fun! it was organized which helped becuase it would have been difficult to find my way around venice myself. i also got to bond with a few friends who were also in the program. not many cultural events or attractions set up with the program that iattended |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
i usually felt safe, on campus, around the city, or around my apartment. of course it is never safe to travel late at night by yourself, espeically as a female. but for me, i was at a real advantage becuase i am part italian and could pull off as a local. my new zealand roomate was blond hair and blue eyes. she was much more a victim. always it's important the way you dress. its recommended to try and blend in. not wear heels or short shorts or things like that all at the time. as far as health it was very inefficient. i was never really ill (thank goodness!) but my roommate needed to see someone and when she went to the English health services, they didnt even speak english! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | save before you go and be organized! get as many scholarships as you can! (my mistake, i applied too late) |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | no language |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
the course was only 3 weeks which is not nearly enough to get the basics. i learned a lot while i was in class but as soon as i got out i lost it. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | do everything; try everything, buy anything you want, meet anyone you want. you only have one opportunity and when you leave it's all over. |
