Learning to deal with Italians' and Americans' idiosyncracies Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The program was run by really great people who were super helpful. The academics were definitely not rigorous though. A lot of the people here also only really came for a semester long party. That being said, the experience was great overall, mainly because Milan is a wonderful city and traveling to other countries really broadened my horizons.

On-site administration of your program

The administrators were all very helpful and great people. However, this being Italy, sometimes things did not get done on the schedule we, as Americans, are used to.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartment was great and we had an Italian Community Assistant living with us and helping with everyday things and cultural shocks. Other than people being slobs, which pretty much would happen no matter what, it was a great experience.

My program didn't supply us with food, so I mostly did my own cooking. I really enjoy cooking, so it was really great to have my own kitchen to work with. I do miss my big kitchen back home though! Things here are a lot smaller. Plus, Italian food is known around the world for being great so it goes without saying their food was awesome.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I didn't really integrate that much, not even with the other American students. When they talked about Culture Shock, I recognized those feelings, not towards the Italian culture, but by what I learned about American culture. The other American students were very different than I expected. Not a lot of deep thinkers... As I said before, a lot of people just looking to take a semester off and party in a foreign country.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I am a Type 1 Diabetic, and knew coming in that there would be hurdles to face. I actually prepared very well, and aside from one minor mishap, which I think was just chance, I was only sick once. However, a piece of my medical equipment, my dexcom, ran out of battery, and the whole transmitter needed to be replaced. My mom ordered a new one in the states and tried to send it to Italy. She was told she needed formal permission from the Italian Ministry of Health in order to be able to send it. So I and an administrator worked to get that approval. Then, once the device finally arrived, it was stuck in customs at Malpensa airport waiting for me to pay a 40 euro customs fee. So I went and paid that at the post office. Then, they still wouldn't release the device to me without yet another verification from my endocrinologist in Connecticut that I truly needed this device. So I had to obtain that as well. Finally, the device was released to me, and when it arrived at the IES center, I was told I would have to pay 357 euros in order to claim it. For a medical device that I needed in order to live a healthier life and that I had already paid exponential amounts for while I was in the states, even with insurance coverage. So I had them send it back to the United States. So, a word to the wise, do NOT try to have non-essential medical devices sent to Italy. It is NOT worth it. The device would have made my life a lot easier and made me healthier over this semester, but it wasn't worth that huge chunk of money and hassle it cost me.

I always felt safe. The center's response after the Paris attacks was great, and they added a security guard at our school building. I don't really think those measures were necessary, but if it makes them feel better, that's fine and it wasn't too much of a hassle.

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

It's metropolitan Italy, so I knew going into it that it wouldn't be cheap. The bulk of my money went to traveling though, so I can't really complain. EXPO was also in Milan this fall, so that ate some of the budget just because a lot of prices were raised because of all the tourists that were flocking to Milan and EXPO.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Outside of Italian Class, we weren't really pushed much to use it. I used it because I was part of a choir in Milan and the rehearsals were run entirely in Italian and I wanted to be able to speak to Italians and go about my daily life using as much Italian as possible. But everyone speaks English in Milan, so knowing Italian makes things a lot easier, but if you stick to the beaten path, people who know almost no Italian can easily get by in English.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Easy to travel
• Administrators are super nice!

• More difficult courses
• Force us to use Italian more

The Academic or Linguist