Disappointed Past Review
By Hayley (University of San Francisco) - abroad from 01/13/3018 to 04/26/2018 with
Italy Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I am resilient and even though I wanted to leave/ probably should have for, I didn't and survived! It was not really worthwhile though, would not redo.
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. |
Half of my classes were amazing and the other half were an academic waste of time. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Dorm style, rooms were ok, but the building in general was uncomfortable. There is an ok gym. The kitchen area was fairly disgusting. |
| * Food: |
The food was terrible (we are in Italy!) and as a vegetarian who is environmentally conscious I could eat almost nothing. It was almost all wrapped in plastic and not fresh, the hot bar section was subpar pastas and overcooked veggies. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With the program, just a little. The only realy intagration was that I had a speaking partner. But I already spoke some italian and that really helped- otherwise I would have felt very isolated. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got seriously injured during one of the school trips and not really any attention from SHC staff. The doctors later said I should have gone to the ER immediately. |
| * Safety: |
No incidents happened to me, though men were very aggressive and I was followed a few times and catcalled everyday on my way to class. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I didnt eat the cafe food at school so I speat about $70 on food. |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | I had 4 semesters of language. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | The climate of Bologna, credits were less than my home university, shitty food in dorm, |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
