Spring in Ferrara Past Review

By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/14/2019 to 06/30/2019 with

Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Ferrara

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

My language skills grew immensely as well as just general adult skills-- it was my first time living in a city in an apartment, so I learned to cook, clean, grocery shop, take care of myself. Travel was incredibly valuable.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Hard to give this a rating-- academic rigor and intensity were low but there were good resources, we had one-on-one tutors for all university classes.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Ferrara was pretty hands-off, because the center of administration was in Florence, which I liked. However, it was easy to reach them by phone or email and they checked in a couple times during the semester. We returned to Florence 3 or 4 times as well.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Good location, nice roommates.
* Food:
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* 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 definitely could get by spending very little-- groceries are cheap, and rent is cheaper if you wait and get an apartment once you're there. I probably chose to spend more than what was necessary each week on travel.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	200
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Get a discount card at CONAD, book travel ahead of time so you have cheaper options, cook more often than you go out

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?	Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program?	Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure?	400
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?	Just start using it! If you mess up, people will correct you and then you'll know. It'll get more and more comfortable the more you do it. Try to talk to people who work in bars and stores more than just "ciao."

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
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?	Food Travel Language
* What could be improved?	Housing Internship opportunities Help finding activities to do in host city
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	You will have a lot of free time. Try to get involved with an activity in your city, or spend a lot of time traveling. Try to avoid spending too much time alone in your room.

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 Nearly Native or Trail Blazer Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Storia di Ferrara
Course Department:
Instructor:	Teresa Quarta
Instruction Language:	Italian
Comments:	Mixed grammar exercises into the history of Ferrara, plenty of field trips, lots of participation because there were only 4 of us in the class. We had one exam, homework assignments, presentations, recordings, and a paper at the end.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No issues!