Sicily's Incredible History and Culture Will Find You Ready or Not Past Review
By Megan N (Chemistry., Carleton College) for
Italy Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I learned a lot about Sicily, a place I didn't know a whole lot about before going abroad. I also was able to take the chance to look reflectively on my own culture and my choices that led me to Sicily and I learned a lot about myself. I am more culturally aware than I was before, definitely. And I have a lot of respect for anybody who would move somewhere where they speak a foreign language that you do not understand. This trip persuaded me to change my future academic and career plans to less chemistry and more archaeology. They are a mix of the two right now.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Workload was very light in comparison to home school, but the teachers were for the most part, very knowledgeable and helpful. Some didn't speak English as their first language and this was a barrier but not a huge one. Almost the entire grade for a course was tied up in big assignments like exams and papers. You could make the classes as rewarding and challenging as you wanted because the teachers were very flexible. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There was a lot of support although the school and the offices were closed quite often. We had an excellent student activity advisor who really made a big difference. If you wanted to make a change or comment on the program there were plenty of opportunities but you had to be quite persistent to make any impact at all. The staff knew a lot about the host country and for the most part knew about American higher education. The program was very very small - only eight of us in total. The program seemed somewhat disorganized and at times unprofessional but I left feeling very satisfied with my experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a large, beautiful apartment with two American girls on my program. A lot of things in the apartment broke while we lived there (by our hands or not). There was no air conditioning or heat but neither were really needed. It was close to class and to what night life there was. We did need to buy some cookware and I was very happy I brought a blanket from home because the bedding provided was very thin and not warm. Our housing director was very difficult to get in touch with. |
| * Food: |
The food is awesome. Almost entirely provided by yourself, but what was provided was wonderful. Lots of vegetarian options, mostly fish, pasta, cheese and vegetables. I imagine it would be quite hard to be gluten free here. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were some really great trips and events planned by MCAS such as our trip to Malta and overnight trips to different Sicilian cities. Unfortunately most of the trips and events we had to pay for ourselves, even if they were mandatory, except for Malta. I was expecting more class field trips than we ended up having. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
The host city is very safe for tourists. There were no health issues with any of the people on my program or myself. We didn't need any special vaccines for this program. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling is expensive. Food is very cheap. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Hardly anybody on the street could speak English. The Italian class is fairly good but to really learn the language it was important to take the time to speak Italian to locals. More than just buying food or saying hello in the street. |
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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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? | A student who loves food, sunshine and/or ancient history will do well. |
