Sicily: Slower but a Good Change of Pace Past Review
By Julia G (HISTORY., Wellesley College) for
Italy Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
I learned how to rely on myself alone. I became more understanding of the mixture of cultures abroad but even more so the mixture of cultures at home. I might chose a larger city or a program with home stay but the program a chose was an experience I won't regret.
Personal Information
How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload is lighter than my American university but the teachers were engaging and very intereseting, the classes were modeled after the US system. |
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Italian naturally have a problem getting things done, look at the eurozone for an example, that would probably be the biggest detriment to this program. |
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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* Food: |
Learn how to cook. |
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We went to an amazing Siracusa Football game and were even in the local paper for supporting the team |
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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* Safety: |
Siracusa was not the safest city but the island of Ortigia, were all the students lived and the school was located was very safe. The pharmacist were all trained to point out the correct medicine for the symptoms which the students were suffering from |
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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Finances
* 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? | 50 Euros |
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buying food is a lot more expensive than many people think, Siracusa had an open air market that was much more affordable and healthy than the store. |
Language
* Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
Language acquisition improvement? |
I needed to use the host language in everyday interactions with the locals and the language courses were very good but as the school was only american students opportunities to practice with others my age were limited and hindered my ability to learn. |
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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Other Program Information
* 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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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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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Individual Course Reviews
Course Name/Rating: |
Sicilian Archaeology w/ Digital Archaeology |
Course Department: | CSAR 361 |
Instructor: | D. Tanasi |
Instruction Language: | English |
Comments: | It was a challenging course, there were many field trips and hands-on activities and lectures to attend. Professor Tanasi was very well educated and prepared for class and always seem to know a little bit more. He was also very engaging with the students and made it easy to participate in class even when other students were not interested |
Credit Transfer Issues: | This course was originally a 200-level course but I took an extra modular that meet twice a week totaling 15hours of class time, Digital Archaeology. This made the course a 300-level in MCAS but I have not received any additional credit in my host university. |