Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Life Changing Perspective on How to See the World Abroad and at Home Past Review

By (PSYCHOLOGY., Illinois State University) - abroad from 05/31/2013 to 06/27/2013 with

Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to integrate myself into a new culture and how to be more independent. I learned to be more laid back and to let things just happen. It became obvious to me quickly that just because two nations are different doesn't make one better and one worse; there are both good and bad to every place in the world and it's important to embrace the differences rather than critiquing them.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never needed healthcare but one of my roommates did and our advisor sent a doctor to the apartment to make sure she was ok. The advisor continuously checked up on her until she was well.

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

You can spend as much or as little as you want, just depends on the experience you want to get out of it. Meals out at restaurants are more expensive than making your own and additional costs depend how much you plan on shopping and traveling to other areas. Most of the famous monuments in rome were free or gave a student price if there was a fee.

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan how you want to spend your money before you go and also break down your budget each week to better monitor spending.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Try to learn some of the basic words before going and make sure to integrate them while you're interacting with other italians. Make friends with the locals and ask questions/have them teach you more of the language (slang, words you commonly hear, words with multiple meaning).

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Exchange

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 10+

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Small school and class sizes
  • Location
  • School trips
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing. I wouldn't change a thing.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? A month in Rome is not long enough. I really wish I could have spent a semester there instead.

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 Urbanite
A 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Italian Grand Tour
Course Department:
Instructor: Caterina Eleuteri
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Caterina was very personable and made easy to learn without feeling overwhelmed with course work. We went on field trips to places related to class discussion which helped to put class material into perspective. Caterina taught our class so much more than what was expected of her and she was always prepared to teach us. LDM gave me the opportunity to have a lot of individualized attention; there was only five people in my class. Small classes gave me a chance to get to know the other students quickly and to learn as much about Italy as I could in the short time I was there. Our grade was based on one paper, a midterm, a final project, a final, and class participation.
Credit Transfer Issues: