The Trip of a Lifetime Past Review
By A student (Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions., Worcester State College) - abroad from 01/25/2012 to 05/12/2012 with
Italy Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I gained a sense of independence. I felt like I could do anything on my own that I wanted to do, I just had to plan out what I wanted to do. I learned so much about the culture of a foreign place and learned to appreciate it. It was completely worth it, when it came time to head back home, I did not want to go.
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. |
My art history course allowed me to interact with the city by taking class trips to sights within the city and see the art in person. In my Italian cuisine class I got to make many current dishes using the freshest foods. I even got to save the recipes so I can make the food back home for my family. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of my professors were extremely helpful and enthusiastic about what they were teaching. My advisor, Elena, was always there when I had a question or a problem and had the perfect solution. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment is well furnished and had everything we needed. |
| * Food: |
Every restaurant I went to had amazing food, I don't have one negative thing to say about the food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The school provided us with specific places to go see the doctor if we were sick so we could get the medicine we needed. While I was there in the winter months, it was very cold and I was sick and the doctor was able to prescribe me medicine. The program provided me with health insurance, so seeing the doctor was free. |
| * Safety: |
During the day it was fine to walk around by yourself. At night it was best to be walking with someone if possible. I know of a few people that were jumped at night when they were by themselves. My roommate was mugged one night when she was walking home with one of our other roommates. Thank goodness she was not harmed though. |
| 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) |
I spent a majority of my money on transportation and a place to sleep for traveling on the weekends. The other reason I was spending a lot of money was because while I was gone on the weekend I had no way of cooking for myself, so I would have to spend money out to eat. During the weeks when I was in Florence, I did not spend as much money because I would make my own food. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 30 euros on groceries, and about 60 euros going out to eat on the weekends. And while traveling I would spend 250 euros for a trip with a student traveling company |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try and find a job while abroad. Some places just want you to work once a week. Also while traveling, if you can bring snacks that you can buy at a grocery store. |
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 |
In my Italian language class we learned vocabulary that would help us interact with the locals. We learned vocabulary for food, traveling, greetings and interactions with people, clothing, numbers, months, etc. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I completed my beginner Italian language course while abroad. |
| 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? | In Florence there are a lot tourists, so many of the locals speak English. Most of the time they would just respond back to me in English if I spoke to them in Italian. It made it harder to actually apply what we were learning in class to |
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? | I wish I knew that even though a student visa to Italy is free, once at the school, LDM, there is a fee of about 160 euros** that you must pay for the visa. Some places abroad give student discounts, so keep a look out, or just ask if they have one. |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
