Italy and Back in 124 Days Past Review
By A student (Marketing and Art History, Simmons College) - abroad from 01/12/2015 to 05/14/2015 with
IES Abroad: Milan - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
Through my experience abroad I gained a better understanding of the world, of Italy, and of the U.S. It made me reflect on our customs and traditions and especially the differences in our cultures. It has made me a better person and broadened my view of the world. It was 100% worth it.
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 challenging and interesting. Not too much homework making traveling super easy on the weekends. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The on site staff were super helpful and worked through problems with students to make the experience entirely enjoyable. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived with a homestay family and they were amazing. They treated me like their own and I was able to see the Italian culture in a completely assimilated way. |
| * Food: |
Italian food > everything. Does anything else really need to be said? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really liked the local culture, but at times it was hard to find out what was going on. You really have to know people to know what's going on, but once you do you really start to feel like a local. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Information was readily available and there was always someone to talk about any issues with. |
| * Safety: |
The staff, my homestay family, and my coworkers at my internship were always really great about letting me know what was going on in the city and when I did have an issue they would work things out with me to keep me safe. |
| 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) |
When you live with a homestay family you really only have to worry about lunch and that's a really great feeling. It means you can travel more and stretch your money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Know generally what you spend per week at school because you can use that to budget yourself for each week in Italy. |
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 |
I was in the higher level class because I took three semester at my home institution so they wanted me to use the language as much as possible to really get a full grasp on it. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Italian 3 |
| 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? | Just use it! Even if you say something wrong or don't know a word try. The people around you will help you. |
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? | Bring a credit card with you. You will absolutely need it. You can't do anything with a debit card. And for the most part no matter how much of the language you have previously learned you will feel like you know nothing when you get there and that's okay. Embrace it and keep going. It will click soon enough. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
