I Left My Heart in Padova Past Review

By (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Tulane University) for

Boston University: Padua - Italian and European Studies Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Definitely. Pretty much all I know that I want in life is to return to Italy.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: I was in the program hosted by BU in addition to taking a class at the Universita' degli studi di Padova
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was intense while remaining doable. I spent many hours a day studying, just like I do at home. All of my professors were outstanding, including my University of Padova professor. There was quite alot of reading, which was almost all in Italian, but it helped me to learn. For my class at the University, I had to read about 15 pages a day, which started out being really tough, but later on got easier and I felt I learned alot of Italian words in my particular field of study as a result, in addition to the information about the subject. The give oral exams in Italy, which I really enjoyed, because it gave me a chance to explain myself even though sometimes I didn't have the correct grammar.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The only problem I encountered was when they didn't really tell us when the first week of University of Padova classes started. This was probably because the classes started at all different times. Besides that, the administration was very helpful and friendly in every possible manner. I was sick the first month and they set up appointments for me and told me how to get there and were very sympathetic. They were always available to meet to talk about academic issues, host family issues or just to chat with you. They were all so very nice and enthusiastic about us being there and were a very positive part of my experience and part of my foreign family. The trips we took were fantastic and gave us an opportunity to get to know them better.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was treated as a family member while in my host family's house. I went to their concerts and dinners at their grandmother's house. I helped cook dinner and set the table, we watched TV together and sat up late just talking to each other and drinking coke. My host parents were so wonderful and helped me with any problem I had, whether it was psycological,linguistical, booking a hotel; whatever it was they were eager to help. We went on a trip together to the mountains together and had a blast. They were the most wonderful part of my time in Italy.

* Food:

I think there were about two meals that I ate in my whole time in Italy that weren't the best thing I had ever eaten. Everything else was.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I travelled some while in Italy, but stuck to Padova for the most part, which is filled with interesting cultural opportunities, like the Botanical Gardens, the Scrovegni Chapel, the Palazzo Della Ragione, the University and endless other interesting sites. With our group we went to Verona, Milan and Ravenna. Ravenna was particularly interesting, and I probably would not have gone had my program not taken us. In addition, I travelled to Rome, Florence, Venice and the Dolomites. Every trip I took was fantastic and the art, people and sights were amazing.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Padova was a very safe city overall. If you go to the disco, you should take a cab home. My house was so far away from the center of town that it was impossible to walk home very late at night. Avoid wearing overly brightly colored clothes or talking loudly in English, as it attracts unwanted attention. I had a very positive experience with the healthcare system, I went to the doctor in the first month and was very satisfied with the service.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? The food is expensive. The stipend must be used carefully. but it can be done. I used the stipend to buy all of my food and had enough to buy all of my Christmas presents with it at the end. Some people comlained about not having enough, but they don't know how to be cheap.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 325
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

The most useful thing to me for learning italian was to talk to my host family. It helped me get familiar with the language, and it became not a foreign language, but a friend language. It was how I communicated with my host family, and therefore it was a lovely thing. I would not have learned a tenth of what I did had I not had a host family. I also used Italian whenever I could, and talked to whomever I could. I made friends with peole in my class at the University of Padova, people in restaurants, other members of my host family, people in the office at BU, people who worked at the library, talking was how I learned best. I also had a tandem partner, a girl with whom I would practice Italian and she English. I had to use Italian in daily interactions, as many people in Padova do not speak English, and if they did I did not want to speak English with them. I have plenty of time in the states to speak English. I also tried to speak Italian with my friends, although it sometimes deteriorated to English, but we tried our best. Our classes were also all in Italian.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Host Family
  • Seriousness of my fellow students
  • Interaction with the University of Padova
* What could be improved?
  • Mixing activities between our students and students at the university.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you are serious about learning the language and befriending the people, I would choose this program. There is a considerable workload, but it is worth it if you are looking to improve your Italian.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Intro to Art History: from Giotto to Tiepolo

Course Department: CAS IT 341
Instructor: Fantelli
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: The ideas in this class weren't that challenging, but that is because I have taken many art history courses before. Nevertheless, I learned alot about this particular time period, and now know how to explain it in Italian. Our professor was hilarious and did a very good job of explaining everything. He took full advantage of our location and we went on many excursions throughout the semester. We got to see magnificient art all within walking distance of the BU center. The trips were efficent and informative (we didn't spend a lot of time in transit and we were always learning things). Padova is an amazing city in which to study art,and the Scrovegni Chapel is without paralell.
Credit Transfer Issues: This one went through very smoothly.
Course Name/Rating:

History of Classical Art

Course Department: Archaeology (University of Padova)
Instructor: Monica Salvadori
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: Taking this class was so useful because it was taught in Italian to Italians. The language level was so high that it taught me so much about Italian! The reading was intense, I spent many weekends not travelling or relaxing, but reading my book for this class, but now I really feel like I've accomplished something. I learned alot about Classic Art History, made Italian friends and am still in contact with my professor.
Credit Transfer Issues: Yes, they want to call it a classics class, but it is an art history class, or should count as either. I'm having a fight with them about it presently.
Course Name/Rating:

Advanced Italian Practicum

Course Department: CAS LI 306
Instructor: Laura Lenci
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: This course lasted for the first month of our time in Italy, to cement our italian skills, particularly conversational ones. This is an skill that had been more difficult to hone while in the United States, and it was addressed beautifully in this class. She focused in on the things that were giving us problems, and was never nit-picky about correcting was, which was very useful, because it really helped us to stop saying things incorrectly!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Topics in Italian Music History

Course Department: CAS IT 344
Instructor: Piergabrielle Mancuso
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: The professor was fantastic, and even though I did not know anything about music history when I entered the classroom the first day, I felt like I left with some general ideas about the history of music in Europe, as well as lots of specific knowledge about particular composers, librettists and movements in Italian music. We got to watch lots of operas, the watching of which was accompanied by his questions and comments which helped us to understand the significance of certain passages, musical phrases and styles. We went to Venice together to see an opera, which was a magical experience in itself. Our professor was also a very kind person who never had a problem with any questions and was always available to talk about projects or assignments with us.
Credit Transfer Issues: no