A snapshot of Italy: Its culture, language, history and food. Past Review
By A student (University of Arkansas - Fayetteville) - abroad from 06/01/2016 to 06/30/2016 with
NWACC: Study Abroad in Siena
Absolutely worth while. I already had a love for Italy from previous trips but decided that I could be happy living there for an extended period of time and would want to learn Italian, study more about Italian classical music, learn Italian cuisine and the history of the country. all things Italian!!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The immersion Italian language class was difficult for me. Because I was not taking the course for credit, I did not spend much time outside the classroom to study. But, I gained an appreciation for the language and would pursue taking Italian at NWACC if Italian I is offered. I am not ready for Italian II. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Miles Fish was a wonderful program administrator in Siena. His knowledge about Siena and Italy was invaluable and made this month-long study abroad program an experience to remember and share. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The adults participating in the Siena program stayed in an apartment.It was adequate but not comfortably furnished. The kitchen had minimal utensils for cooking but we managed. |
| * Food: |
What can I say!! We were in the heart of Italy. A simple fare was still delicious!!!! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Even though I could not speak Italian, there were many people in Siena who could speak English. Toward the end of my language class, I did attempt to speak Italian in a restaurant-I was terrible but the wait staff appreciated the effort, I think! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have a health issue while in Siena and can not adequately answer this question. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe in Siena the entire month. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I love Italy and would like to go to another city. I feel like I learned so much about Siena and would like to experience another region of the country. Miles developed a fantastic program for Siena! |
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 was able to eat and purchase groceries easily on $200 /week. There are lots of ways to spend lots of money. I wanted to experience the culture, food, people, more than buying "stuff". |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | A rough estimate, a little less than $200/week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I knew about Italian leather from past trips and had planned to buy several leather pieces on the Siena trip. It was tempting to buy wine and olive oil. but Italian wines and oils are available in the US so I did not spend money on mailing packages back to the states. |
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 |
I audited the class and did not want to participate in class. |
| 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 have 10 college hours of French taken in the 1960's. It did not help much at all! |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Since this was an immersion language class (41/2 hours/day), I would recommend a tutor and spend some time studying outside of class. |
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? | 0 |
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 feel like our group was given excellent pre-trip information. |
