Milan: Have Fun Trying to Figure Out What Year it Is Past Review
By Richard S (Environmental Science., Fordham University) for
IES Abroad: Milan - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Of course, I have changed too many ways to list. It is a wonderful experience and I believe everyone who would like to be able to study abroad should be able to. My academic interests have stayed the same, however, personal interests have developed into thinking that there is a whole world outside the places that you're used to staying, and a whole new way of living outside of the way that you are used to. For my future plans, perhaps I will attend graduate school in Europe, or volunteer there. But cultural understanding is important not only to help you realize that there are ways of doing things other than your own, and also that nobody is perfect. Every culture has an ugly side, this is just a fact of life.
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. |
The workload was light, but yet the subjects interesting. The grading was fair, teaching methods and the educational system was American-style, so it was nothing that I was not used to. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. Perfect people for the job, and I cannot think of any problems I had with them. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Couldn't have asked for anything better. Spacious, close to the city center, etc. |
| * Food: |
I'm not sure of any accommodation because I am fortunately not affected by any. Quality/quantity of food: Italy, need I say more. Advice on where to dine: Many amazing restaurants, including many international ones all throughout the city. However, my favorite newly-discovered fast food is Kebab, with places that sell them located all throughout the city. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Field trips to the Vally of Aosta, and Tuscany were fantastic, and the program did an excellent job with this aspect of the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Milan is a very safe city, and the program did their best to make sure that we had counseling as well as valid Italian insurance available in case of any emergency. They also let us know ahead of time if there was going to be any transit related strikes, etc. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | The majority of the money that I spent while abroad went to bank transfer fees and food. I cannot be sure exactly how much. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Please, try to find a bank or credit union that will not charge you or charge you the least amount to take your money out of a foreign bank. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We had an Italian roommate who I could practice my Italian with, he would also invite his friends over to the apartment a lot, so that was helpful. Most everybody speaks passable English in Milan, and for the most part, are very helpful to foreigners. Although in most situations it was necessary to have a basic comprehension of Italian. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | IES Milan has a great program for music students, and I think that those who are musically inclined will thrive the most in Milan. However, it really is a city for everyone, as it has been likened to the New York of Italy. Something that I'd reccomend is to consider how much traveling you want to do. Milan is a transit hub in Europe. So, if you would like to travel every weekend to another country, it is very easy in Milan. However, if you want to stay in Italy to get the most that the country has to offer, maybe Rome would be the place for you. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Beginning Italian 1 |
| Course Department: | IT100 |
| Instructor: | Renata Palermo |
| Instruction Language: | Italian/English |
| Comments: | Wonderful instructor, interested in her students and energetic. Class pace is fast, work is of moderate diffculty, and you learn a lot in this class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italian Language for Interaction and Culture |
| Course Department: | IT105 |
| Instructor: | Elena Mangerone |
| Instruction Language: | Italian |
| Comments: | Great Instructor, fun course, not very challenging, more about speaking Italian than anything else. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
