My Life: Redefined - Viva Italia! Past Review
By Shanna P (Italian, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities) for
IES Abroad: Siena - IES Abroad Center
It was completely worth while! Everyone should study abroad and I think people in college who never got the chance will regret it. I learned so much about myself and other cultures. It opens your eyes to new experiences and you gain great friendships. I become more outgoing and understanding. I have always loved traveling and it was great to see so many other countries as well. It gave me the courage to do things I was afraid of and now I am starting another experience by moving to Thailand to teach abroad. I don't think I would have taken that step if I didn't study abroad.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The IES Siena teachers are great and help you out with any questions that you have. Classes are two hours long and there is only one class on Fridays. You are allowed to miss a few classes for travel but they ask you to only miss two of each class. Language classes have some homework outside of class but most of the other classes were lecture based only. There are midterms, finals and a final paper. You may have to study for school still but there is plenty of time for exploring so don't feel overwhelmed! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The director of IES Siena is the most amazing person in the entire world. She has lived in several different countries and understands what it is like to live/travel around a different place. Her English is perfect, she is very well known around Siena and has a lot of helpful information. She will help you with any problems and can answer anything. She took us around the city and involved us in her social groups to try and expose us to new things. She is fabulous! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was very nice. Be award that there will not be a mircrowave, dryer or other things that we are used to in the United States. However, I enjoyed staying there very much. It is a short walk to the grocery store and about a 15 minute walk to school. Everywhere in Siena is walkable and it is the most beautiful city so you will enjoy it. My apartment was 30 seconds away from the Piazza del Campo and most other apartments are very close as well. |
| * Food: |
Obviously the food is great in Italy! You will try a bunch of different places for pizza, coffee and gelato and soon pick your favorites. The people working there will get to know you! My roommates and I usually ate breakfast and dinner at home and got pizza somewhere between classes. There are also two local university cafeterias that we were allowed to use and you can get lunch or dinner there for about 2 euros. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We had several field trips through various classes around Tuscany and there are two bigger field trips a semester. Some examples of cities are: Bologna, Milano, Roma and Assisi. They were all amazing. You will also be doing a lot of traveling on your own and it is always an amazing experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Siena is one of the safest places in Italy. I felt comfortable walking around alone at night if I had to. There weren't any problems. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
There are three levels of language classes (and you don't need to know any Italian before you leave). Most people spoke some English but obviously it looks better if you try and speak in Italian. They have a language exchange that you can do with an Italian citizen and meet during the week to practice both your languages. |
| 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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I suggest spending as much time as possible. If you are debating going for a summer or a semester, choose semester or if it is a semester or a year, choose a year. You will be glad that you did. I fell in love with Siena, Tuscany, Italians and Europe and didn't want to leave. |
