Siena: A unique Italian cultural experience Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was not as intensive as my home university. I did not spend as many hours doing homework like I would at home. However, it was much more interactive and we went on class excursions that were hands-on and beneficial to what I was learning in the class room.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration was incredible. They were very helpful and willing to support students with any needs or questions they had.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

During the winter term I lived outside the city walls. It was a really nice apartment but was not a great location. I was actually quite disappointed with it because I was farther from the other people in the program and it was difficult to get into the city as frequently. Sometimes the buses didn't run or were late and it was about a 25 minute walk to get to the city. I would walk sometimes but in the winter time the weather was not as great and it was not very safe to walk because there were no sidewalks. I hardly ever went out at night. Normally the only time I spent in the city was when I was in class. But Spring term I moved to an apartment in the city that was great! It was a perfect location and I felt like I really got to experience and see Siena to a much fuller extent.

I normally cooked for myself during the weekdays and it was nothing special. But on the weekends I would go out to dinner sometimes. I would recommend Pizzeria di Nonno Mede or Tia Loca for good pizza. And Taverna di Cecco is good too. And of course for the best and cheapest gelato one MUST go to Kopa Kobana!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

My favorite excursion was going to Pienza. It is a small Italian town. We went in the winter when there were no tourists and it was incredible to see. We ate a full course Italian lunch, which was delicious. And then we went to a cheese factory! It was certainly a cultural experience. When my parents came to visit me we rented a car and went to Pienza because I loved it so much!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any serious health problems while I was there. I just had the common cold and took medicine that I had brought with me from home. But I think it would have been easy to buy medicine in the the host city as well.

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

All of the other students in my program spoke English. However, I was able to practice Italian with students at the University of Siena once a week. I could also practice when I went out to dinner, etc. in the city. I wanted to learn Italian but I certainly had to make more of an effort to use it considering that I was with Americans during most of the day, since we shared classes together.

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• Apartment

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• Americans