The best 3 months of my entire life! Past Review

By (Marketing., University of Nebraska- Lincoln) - abroad from 09/10/2012 to 12/02/2012 with

CIMBA: Paderno del Grappa - Undergraduate Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
It was the best thing I have ever done.. I learned a ton of things, but the most worthwhile part of the trip was meeting lifelong friends and experiencing the same challenges together.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

They challenged us in the classroom, but the teachers were accessible and always willing to help when needed.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration was absolutely wonderful. Everyone was so nice and willing to help in any way they could.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Awesome dorm where we could all stay together!

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I felt as though you could be as integrated as you wanted. There were tons of opportunities to meet with the locals, visit local businesses, and interact with the Italian students at school.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Paderno is the best city to study in...there isn't a ton going on at night, but it is a great place to be during the week and then travel on the weekends.

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)

The school provided daily meals, so you could spend nothing during the week and save your money to travel and eat out on the weekends.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 15 euro during the week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Budget your money for trips, know how much you want to spend each day and do research on the places you are going so you are aware of how much it will cost.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

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

Very much, we were taught an Italian class at the beginning of the semester which definitely helped while traveling.

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? 4 years of Italian
How many hours per day did you use the language? 0

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The people
  • The town of Paderno
  • Italian food
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? There will be times that things don't go as planned, but you have to relax because it will all work out.

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.