Incredible 4 months Past Review
By Kori Church (Ithaca College) - abroad from 01/11/2016 to 05/13/2016 with
IES Abroad: Milan - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I felt comfortable in new environments, stressful situations or uneasy situations that I was able to handle well and gained a lot of confidence.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The course formats were a lot different than I was expecting. There were no books. It was structured so if you studied you, do well. You could either get A's or F's. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Incredibly well organized, the director Luca knew everyone personally, and I never felt that anything was unstructured. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I shared a room with a local Italian. Sometimes there was an issue with the language barrier. Space was respected. |
| * Food: |
Italian food is amazing! We took cooking classes and cooked with our CA (community assistant) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was easy to meet and get along with roommates because of questionnaire. However if you lived far from other apartments it was often hard to meet up. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Was able to go to a pharmacy and get the medicine I needed. It is a little different but works well! The only tricky part was reading the directions. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe. I could navigate streets and the metro alone and at night. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
To be honest, I was extremely nervous about going abroad. I have traveled to 30 countries around the world with my family since I was a kid, but this was different. In the days leading up to my departure, everyone asked me if I was excited to go, and I really wasn't. For me initially, studying abroad was something I had to do because everyone did it their junior years. I was so nervous and dreading the day of my flight. Once I got to Milan and met my roommates (after talking them on Facebook) I felt comfortable. We took a tour of the city the first day and already were planning our first trip. I met lots of people in my classes where we were all within 6 degrees of separation. 10 mutual friends on Facebook from all different walks of life. Classes started and I felt at home. All of my friends from high school and college were still at home for winter break but I was so busy I didn't feel left out. Weeks flew by and almost every weekend we were traveling to a new country with a new language and new food! Classes were different than courses at my home college, but the professors were kind, understanding and were really passionate about helping. After just a few days I was comfortable managing the streets and metro alone, knew where the grocery store was, and kind of understood when the cashier told me how much I owed. My Italian picked up quick thanks to the three weeks of intensive learning at the beginning of the semester. Soon enough it was Easter break, and at the end of the program, I didn't want to leave! Milan became like a second home, I learned a lot, and made new friends from around the US and around the world. I was nervous and dreading my study abroad, but now I wish I stayed even longer! |
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) |
Spent a lot on food (eating at amazing restaurants) and travel! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | ~$150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Early flights aren't ideal but are often much cheaper! |
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 |
We had an intensive period of 3 weeks Italian before classes started |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Junior year of high school- a different language |
| 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? | Using it as much as possible. It's ok if you mess up, but people appreciate your effort to try! |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Don't be nervous! |
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 NetworkerAn active student leader, it was important for you to network abroad as well. Once overseas, you sought out student clubs, volunteered with local organizations, or attended community events. You encouraged your friends join you, and often considered how you could reflect your international experiences in a resume. |
