Take me back to Italy! Past Review
By Emily C (Advertising., Iowa State University) - abroad from 01/16/2012 to 04/13/2012 with
CIMBA: Paderno del Grappa - Undergraduate Program
Studying abroad was an amazing experience. I'd definitely say CIMBA was more geared towards giving you the opportunity to travel than living with Italians, but getting to see 9 different countries in 3 months was incredible! We saw some many unique places - some tourist spots and some off the beaten path. The Americans I studied abroad with are still some of best friends even though we live on different sides of the U.S. No matter what program, studying abroad (for a semester) is the best decision you can make!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were difficult, but manageable. The teachers were very knowledgable and interesting to listen to. I felt like the level of education was very good. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CIMBA staff & students are one big family. It's a great atmosphere and a ton of fun! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
For my roommate and I, we had a huge room and two good size bathrooms! The view of the Italian Alps from your window is hard to beat. |
| * Food: |
Food was good, however it was very repetitive. You'll eat a ton of pasta and the quality is similar to any cafeteria. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
CIMBA is primarily an all American campus, so individual relationships with locals are hard in this region. Especially since the Italians that still live near Paderno are older. However, the program gives you the opportunity to learn more about the culture and have 3 formal Italian dinners. There are also "dates" with a professor that you can learn how to make pizza or pasta! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Helpful nurse. Make sure to wear a coat when you visit her, or else she'll tell you you're sick because you don't wear a coat. |
| * Safety: |
Gated campus with security guard. Small, quiet community. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | CIMBA is an all-inclusive program cost, so I really only spent money if we went to dinner during the week and on traveling every weekend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Get an International Student ID Card, and use it! |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Be flexible with travel planning. Airlines are usually cheaper than trains anymore. Take every weekend to go someplace new. Get a random roommate! The Tabacchi across the street is closed on Wednesdays. Al Sol is the best pizza you'll ever eat. Go to every formal dinner - they're awesome. Most importantly, I didn't know how much studying abroad would change my life! Once you go, you'll only want to go back again and again! |
