Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses were fairly easy in that they did not demand a lot. There was very little reading and writing. I think I probably received the most workload from my courses via the ECCO program. The UNIBO class I took, however, was not time intensive at all. I devoted a lot of time at the end of the semester to studying for the exam, but beyond that there was not a lot of work. The grading system was likewise very lenient, and it was easy to get a good grade doing minimal work. The workload, grading system and teaching methods in my college in the states is way way more strenuous then anything I've seen in Italy. American College and Universities certainly demand more of their students than in Italy (and from what I've seen in Europe in general). Also in Europe the courses are almost always lectures, unless you are perhaps in a seminar. Student opinion is more or less irrelevant. It is very much about regurgitation of your readings, and the Professor's lectures.

On-site administration of your program

The program was excellent in taking care of everything we needed from help with our studies at Unibo to assisting us in acquiring permesso di soggiorno's (permits of stay), etc. They would always suggest cultural activities for us and tell us about places in Italy we should visit according to our personal interests.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived at Ludovico Berti 2 (near Porta San Felice) in a dorm called Ghigi. It was a fairly nice location, about a 10 min. walk from the train station and close to all the buses. I lived with 3 roommates - all from different countries. My roommate was from Cameroon, which was a little difficult b/c she was also learning Italian. <br /><br /> The ECCO program arranged our housing. My dorm was close to the city center (it was a 30 min. walk), however, I usually took the bus that was right outside the dorm. Luckily all was provided for me when I arrived. I did not have to buy sheets or cookware, because my roommates allowed me to use theirs (the program gave me sheets and bedding).

A lot of the time we cooked for ourselves. However, there were a few good restaurants that we would often frequent, La Mela, Fragola (a salad/smoothie place), Terra del Sole, Osteria dell'Orsa, and basically all the Trattoria's and Osteria's are great!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I had a great time in Italy. However, I did mostly hangout with American students. We traveled around Italy together, went to loads of museums, outdoor concerts, and random scenic touring. Our program arranged several successful field trips to Ravenna, Firenze and a few other places.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never personally went to the doctor while in Italy, so I have no idea how the medical care is. Overall, I felt safe. I didn't like walking around at night alone, but otherwise I felt safe.

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

It should be mandatory to speak Italian at least around the program office and if we don't speak we should be appropriately penalized. Most everyone in Bologna speaks only Italian - very few people spoke English, so it was necessary to speak Italian in everyday interactions. So in that respect we spoke a lot, however, it's more limiting because it had to do with everyday activities of buying things at the grocery store, getting coffee, etc.

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• Dorm

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• Local Students

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• Americans