Amazing Summer Studying Abroad in Siena Past Review

I studied abroad the Summer of 2017. IES Siena was amazing - the program coordinators were wonderful, available often and always very helpful. I lived in an apartment with one US roommate and one IES Resident Assistant (we were the only apartment with a live-in RA). The RA was amazing, gave great advice - from the best restaurants in the city to fun day trips away from Siena - and is one of many great friends I made during my time in Siena. The program itself is the perfect combination between classes/schoolwork and culture. You’re in class for a couple hours each day, but have no class on Fridays. As such, you’re given time to explore Siena and visit different cities in Italy. The program really seemed to understand that while you were obviously in Italy to take classes, part of being there was also to learn a new language and culture, so they gave you plenty of time outside of class to do so. The profs were also wonderful. They were all italians who were fluent in english, and genuinely enjoyed teaching us not only about classwork, but also about their culture. The profs were a great resource for language/culture questions, and even helped us to find odd things within the city - such as bug bite ointment for mosquito bites, and vanilla and brown sugar to bake cookies. Something to keep in mind is that the number of students in the actual program was fairly small - there were only about 12 of us during summer term. Regarding the city of Siena, the city is relatively small compared to Rome or Florence, but the plus side is that it is incredibly safe and the people are some of the most friendly and open I have met during my travels. Because it’s a smaller city, fewer people speak english than in larger Italian cities, which was actually something I came to love as it gave me a chance to practice my Italian. It was a bit intimidating at first (I spoke no Italian before coming to Siena) but I was amazed by how quickly I was able to pick up and learn basic words/phrases to get around on a daily basis. Siena also has a very unique history and culture, which is amazing to learn about and get to be a part of. As a whole, I can’t say enough good things about IES Siena, and I highly recommend it to anyone thinking of studying abroad there!