Abroad in Bologna Italy Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors formed a special program for the Brown students which was much lighter in terms of what all the natives had for reading. (eg. There was a 10 book list for Italian students in History of Cinema and I had to read 2 of them only) I read the materials and really enjoyed my lecture classes. It took some "class shopping" but I found the right courses for me and the students were more than willing to give you their notes--even weeks into the class. Plus, you can copy books at one of the 100 copisterias around campus for 5 euro intead of buying books. The professors are passionate about their classes but I recommend taking any classes under DAMS. They're all fairly easy and fun but you have to do the reading.

On-site administration of your program

They're very laid back and always helped us whenever we needed them. However, sometimes there was a disconnect in understanding each other. For example, I lived with an Italian roommate who was bulimic and anorexic. We'd hear her throwing up on a regular basis and were genuinely worried about her. So, finally, because of our concerns (and because it was really disgusting to hear while you're trying to cook) my other roommates and I spoke to the program directors...The first question they asked was "Did she leave the bathroom dirty?" ...Then, after explaining our concerns they said sometimes there are just "cultural differences" but they talked to her and the problem was 'fixed'. A great strength would be that whenever someone was stressing out or concerned the directors would put everything down and talk with you, immediately. You'd leave the office feeling so much more relieved. They genuinely cared about us. They'd even write us little email updates every other day to tell us what was going on and ask how we were doing.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

A 300 year old apartment building on Via D'Azeglio 46, 2 piano. It was once used for the servants' housing to a rather wealthy, royal family. Very charming outside. Spacious, clean and cozy. Nice rooms. Decent size compared to all the other apartments my friends had in the program. <br /><br /> It's 2 blocks from the heart of the city: Piazza Maggiore. Great location in the center of EVERYTHING and not far from the university! However, all of Bologna is pretty much a college town.

There's nothing like fresh produce but fresh ingredients from ITALIAN soil? It's fantastic. You can't make a bad dish and it's relatively inexpensive if you look for the places selling produce for 99 centissimi per kg. Shop at COOP and the supermarket INs on the way to San Luca. Both are very cheap and worth it for toiletries and canned goods. PAM is kind of expensive but doable. iplenty is pricey and no students shop there unless they're stuck and can't go to the aforementioned locations.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It's bars or shopping. Eventually, it gets old. So you travel!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Bologna is very safe. Just go out with people if you go out at night, especially if you're a girl. Watch your purses--zippered bags are best!

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

When I first came I knew the basics for ordering food, buying things and generally getting by but thinking on my feet was difficult. The conversations were a bit static. When I left at the end of my stay I was having easy conversations with people on subjects such as philosophy, religion, politics and more. My vocabulary expanded a great deal and I learned a lot in terms of colloquialisms as well as proper sentence structure when talking.

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• Apartment

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• Local Students