Andiamo in Italia! Past Review
By A student (Eastern Illinois University) - abroad from 06/12/2017 to 06/30/2017 with
Eastern Illinois University (EIU): Florence & Rome - Art in Florence and Rome
I learned how to live in another country on my own and with the support of strangers. Before this trip, I had never traveled to another country alone, not knowing anyone who I would meet on the other side. I learned to make new friends in an unfamiliar space and around a new language. I learned that the world is a dangerous place, but that you cannot stay living in a shell your entire life. Travel is essential to personal growth and learning about and appreciating cultures different from your own.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Our professors knew their content from EIU and were excellent resources throughout the journey. One of them knew Florence very well, which helped in making recommendations for what to experience beyond coursework and class time. The housing situation was not ideal in Florence, and better accommodations could have been provided based on the fee I was charged as a graduate student. Choosing roommates (regardless of gender) on the graduate level would also be ideal. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The housing in Florence was difficult to contact after the first day to get issues resolved (like classmates' broken shower door, broken air conditioner in blazing heat). The welcoming nature of the language class teacher in Florence and the one in Rome was wonderful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The hotel in Rome was in a fairly good location and was very well maintained. It was within reasonable walking distance to everything we need to access, except for the Vatican Museums. The apartments in Florence were not matched equally, and two sets of students stayed in significantly nicer rooms even though they paid less for the trip as most of them were undergraduates than the graduate students (who paid more with less scholarship opportunities). The living arrangements were also quite a hike from the classes and main attractions in Florence, but it was quiet and felt more like local-living, which was good. |
| * Food: |
Very little of the food was provided, except for the hotel breakfast for the first week and two welcome dinners as part of tuition. No more food was provided in Florence and there was no one-gelato per day paid for like promised in all of the study abroad advertising/posters at EIU and in the pre-departure information. The food purchased on our own was fine, but we did have to split expenses and pay each other back often (students should be aware that they don't really split the bill in Italy). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In both Rome and Florence I felt comfortable interacting with people, especially in a small group. I did not know the language well enough to communicate fluently in Italian with native speakers for a substantial conversation. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
One student seemed to have an eating disorder and ended up being dehydrated and malnourished at the end of the first week. There was a hospital visit involved with an ambulance having to pick him up at the restaurant when our group was out to lunch. It was the only time I've ever personally had to call 911 (211 in Italy), and no one spoke English and the restaurant owner eventually had to step in to help communicate the situation in order to get him help. Cell phones were NOT provided, so we had to rely on our own phone payments to make important phone calls like this one. |
| * Safety: |
In both Rome and Florence I felt safe. In both city's I had solo adventures in well-lit areas in the day and evening hours, and our groups always felt comfortable going out at night as long as we were smart about where we went. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
It was one of the best experiences in my life. Despite the living situation not being the greatest, I would not take the journey back. I made new friends from the university (grad and undergrad students), met people in Italy who I am still in touch with, got to know each city better than the first time I visited with my own students, and immersed myself in a new culture for a month (as I stayed to travel in Italy following the course). I am considering going to Italy again this coming summer. |
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) |
I was frugal with food, especially when I was able to buy my own with a kitchen in Florence. We did eat out in groups, and we had to pack a lunch almost daily due to events being planned too close together to get food in between. I spent more than a student's expense due to eating out as well as souvenirs. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200 seems about right, maybe more with souvenir purchases |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | When you have a kitchen, buy food to cook yourself and in small groups at the local grocery store; investigate recipes before departing to know what kind of food/dishes/meals you might be able to cook when you arrive and what ingredients that would entail. Pack your own lunch if possible. Don't buy something you think you might see at another store later; often you can find lesser priced goods if you just keep your eyes open and comparison shop. |
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 |
It encouraged us to use it in class in Florence more than Rome. But after the classes ended for the day, we didn't practice much except for common phrases, so it was difficult to learn the language. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I've only taken Spanish and I stopped after my Sophomore year in high school over 15 years ago. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | It really has to be practiced together and studying in a book or in small groups to learn it. Class was not enough and it was too intimidating and took too long to use full on conversation with native speakers outside of the classroom setting. It was the most challenging aspect of being abroad. |
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? |
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? | That bills/checks could not be split. To bring even more Euro than recommended because the fees to withdraw money from an ATM are high in Italy. An online meet and greet session, like we do in all of our other grad school classes, with people visually before the trip so I knew who to look for and who people were before getting on a plane and arriving in Rome. All cell phone/contact information that would be relevant for getting ahold of someone in our class/professors BEFORE leaving the United States. This information had to be shared once there and it was disorganized and not centralized. EXACTLY how the cell phone provider situation is dealt with in Italy (or another country). It would be much less expensive and more understandable if everyone was taken through the process of getting a SIM card together. It was left up to us, and most of us had never traveled in a situation that required this to be done before, so we didn't know what to do. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
