An Extraordinary Year in Siena Past Review
By Clara Kobler (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 09/01/2015 to 05/03/2016 with
SAI Study Abroad: Siena - Siena Italian Studies (SIS)
I learned how to be ok with being alone, find community on my own, and be more comfortable with myself than ever before. It was absolutely worthwhile
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 academic aspect of the program was really different from my normal routine at William & Mary in the sense that it was super easy. Be that as it may, the professors were still dedicated to teaching us the material and provided good material to do so. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I loved the staff in Siena, and they gave it a very personal, close-knit touch. It was a small program, which means we got all the attention we needed for dealing with academic transfers, personal issues, or whatever. The only thing I would say is that the Italian mindset of personal problems is that you have to work them out yourself. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just different. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was UNBELIEVABLE. I am so lucky to have gotten to know them, and I know we'll keep in touch for the rest of our lives. I now have another family across the ocean, and I can't wait to go back and visit them. While not all host families are this involved and awesome, I think it is definitely worth the experience. |
| * Food: |
I mean, it's Italy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I didn't really have any Italian friends when I left, but that was also on my part. I did integrate fully into my host family and became really best friends with my host sister who is 18, so that was my in into Italian culture. As far as meeting non-familial Italians, it didn't happen easily. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Luckily I didn't have to use it because I didn't get sick, but I was really well covered had there been a case to need it! |
| * Safety: |
Siena is such a safe city, and I never felt in danger. Even walking home alone at night, though a little nerve-wracking, is still super safe. I love that Siena was a smaller city because had this been somewhere like Florence, I wouldn't have felt the same sense of security. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
This program brought me wonderful friends, an unbelievable host family, and my new favorite city in the world. I would do it over 1000 times if I could. |
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 could have spent a lot less if I wasn't so addicted to shopping. The program covered basically all food costs, so my budget was reserved for traveling and gelato. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Less than 50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Know how much you have and plan out how much each of your trips will cost beforehand. That way you aren't surprised when all the money is gone! |
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 |
The classes were in Italian and my host family only spoke Italian, so it was key for my life there. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Italian 206 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Siena is kind of touristy so it is easy to get by with English. So it's important to force yourself to speak Italian! Do it as much as you can in every scenario. You'll thank yourself in the end! |
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? | Italians have a very different way of doing things, even the staff at school. Don't expect the tightly-run ship that is American university life: it won't happen. |
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 BlazerCraving 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.' |
