Best year of my life! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses at Unibo meet for about twice as many semester hours as courses at most US universities (three days a week, two hours each). It takes a while to get used to but in the end I found it more engaging, whereas sometimes in the US it feels like there's not enough class time to enter a subject at such a deep level. Course difficulty fluctuates wildly, especially for foreign students. For example, some teachers will treat you as they would an Italian student (talking very fast, asking highly complex questions, not reducing the course load), whereas others will treat you as almost a child (talking slowly, very short exams, simple questions, reduced course load). You can't always tell how they will be, but it definitely doesn't hurt to ask - and ask early because often the professors' attitude can make or break your decision. For example, one of my professors was very strict and stoic during lecture, but gave me a very easy exam that really surprised me (and if you don't know already, the courses are in Italian and almost all the exams will be oral exams of about 15-20 minutes with the professor or a TA, and usually 100% of your grade is based on this one final oral exam. Be prepared, though it's not as bad as it sounds). I had some fascinating and wonderful professors and some quite the opposite, do your research online and drop in on as many courses as you can to figure it out. The only major downside to the university, in my opinion, is the disorganization. The resources are there (many great libraries, professors have office hours, etc.), but it is very hard to find the right information about how to use them. Do your best to double check things, though the websites are not often reliable (ex. building closed when schedule says open). It can be frustrating at times, but just speak to one of your professors or, better yet, the directors of the program. They're all there to help you, you just have to go find them first. There is a lot less hand-holding in comparison to most US universities. Little points of frustration aside, the very different teaching style and organization make it such an interesting and engaging experience, you'll love it no matter what you take.

On-site administration of your program

Massimo, Anna Maria, and Lilia are all wonderful people, though unfortunately Lilia just retired after 30 years with the program. They were very helpful in doing all the necessary paperwork and informing us early about events and meetings etc. Any questions were answered very quickly and explained thoroughly. They organized many splendid day trips to towns and museums, take advantage of them!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments are spread out throughout the city, some inside the walls and some not, so it can be a little bit of a commute for some students. However, the places are all nice and the program supplies the basics and takes care of any problems that may occur. They try to assign you with as many Italian student roommates as possible, and they are for the most part very nice and responsible people. It's so nice to have the apartments already rented by the program because it can be a pain trying to find one by yourself!

Being one of the greatest cities and regions for food in Italy, it goes without saying that there is an abundance of fantastic food. We were discovering great restaurants and markets during the entire time, it never gets boring. The only negative is that the food of this region is very heavy and can be a little much, but it's just so good you'll probably just eat it anyway. Also, the supermarkets like Coop and Pam are great and not too expensive, and if you're looking for more traditional/local stuff, there are plenty of shops around the city that you'll run into. Via Pescherie Vecchie is very cute but it's a bit of a tourist spot and can be expensive.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I couldn't have asked for a better interaction with the locals and students. The program sets you up at the beginning of the semester with a language partner who takes you out with them to museums and bars or on walks etc. They are a great resource, and you can get to know their friends and learn lots of Italian really fast. You'll also probably meet other students during class and at parties or clubs. The city is absolutely full of them. And even the local shopkeepers, once you become a regular, will probably befriend you and give you free loaves of bread or whatever it is they sell. They may be cold at first but they warm up to you quickly!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no problems with healthcare, but I did make one visit to the American doctor there who is like a gateway to the Italian healthcare system. He's on call most of the time and even likes to text, so you won't have to wait long.

Bologna is a well-run and somewhat wealthy city, and this attracts the good as well as the bad. There are a good number of homeless people, 'barboni', who are basically what we have in the US, typical beggars. There are also 'punkabestie' who may look like homeless people (and in some cases they are), but they aren't usually beggars. They most usually have dogs, do/sell drugs, and hang out in Piazza Verdi. The good thing is, they pretty much mind their own business. If you walk around late at night (after 2 or 3) you might see some more sketchy people but there are very few scary encounters. Travel in groups, especially if you're a girl.

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

You can really get carried away spending lots of money (especially on food and drink), but once I started paying more attention to my spending habits, I was able to reduce unnecessary purchases and extend the life of each euro. If you cook at home then you'll definitely save a lot, the only problem is you just want to go out and try all the restaurants! Other living expenses aren't so bad, most museums are free, buses are reasonable if you buy tickets in bulk, and trains are fairly priced (unless you take the high speed 'freccia' lines, very expensive). Make sure you have enough money to bring some wonderful gifts home!

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

They never spoke a word of English to us and you don't hear much of it from the students or locals either, Bologna isn't as popular among tourists as Milan or Rome (though you will hear more English in the springtime). We picked up Italian extremely fast, I don't think there was a better or quicker way to learn.

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• Local Students
• Americans

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• Americans
• International Students

• The city - not too big, not too small. You have time to get to know it well and still discover new things right on through the end.
• The program was very helpful but also knew when to stay out of the way and let us be independent and explore.
• They made us take courses with all the other students instead of with just the program which was a fantastic way to learn and to dive into the culture.

• Paperwork for the university and for the government can be a hassle and is not always clear, there could be a manual or instruction book that has it all in writing so we don't have to bother the program workers so much to figure things out!
• The price is one of the main deterring factors, though I do have to say from what I have heard and seen it is the best program out there (worth the money).
• More group day trips to nearby towns! They are well-organized and really fun.