Sant'Anna truly provides the experience of a lifetime Past Review
By Steve P (Business Adminstration, SUNY - College of Technology at Alfred (Alfred State University)) - abroad from 01/10/2014 to 05/10/2014 with
Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy
This program provided me with the opportunity to not only immerse myself into a brand new culture, but also the chance to work in a new environment, country, and setting under a completely different atmosphere. This was definitely worthwhile. Not many people can say they had the chance to participate in a study abroad experience, let alone an internship abroad, and on top of that have my own experiences on the side like traveling Europe, DJ'ing, and much more!
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. |
I am taking two courses and an internship, my internship is very demanding since it deals with Marketing and Communications and there have been numerous long nights, sudden changes, and more. This truly prepares you for the experiences which one may encounter in their future career |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
SUNY Alfred State College does an amazing job in going out of there way to make sure students have all that they need to go abroad. Between Tricia Herrit and Diane Tuzzolino, whenever there was a question or a request needed, they went out of their way to find an answer. The process is also made easy because Tricia takes it upon herself to fly from Alfred to New York City and handle the Italian VISA processing for all the Alfred Students taking part in the trip. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment I received was very modern and good overall. The only downfall is that we are in the center of town where many people live at night and even the slightest peep can be heard by everyone late at night since it is quiet. We also have the office of the building manager across from us in the hall so people are constantly going through the halls and at times it may be noisy early in the morning. Overall, being that we are in the center of town, it is very easy to get around and explore, making it worth it! |
| * Food: |
It's Italy, there's food everywhere! Where do I start?! There are so many different choices in Sorrento that you can get everything from a traditional Italian meal, to an American Cheeseburger, to a Greek Kebab! Honestly, the kebab is probably the most unique and best thing I've eaten in Sorrento. However, with so many options, the food opportunities are endless! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In a matter of days people knew me by name, waved in the streets, and made arrangements to have our own excursions. Within the first two weeks I made quite a few Italian friends where I was able to arrange table service at the local discotheque at a great price, watch a Napoli Copa Italia game, have a late night swim in the beach, and much more. Truly unique in the way people interact with you on a daily basis. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Being that Sorrento is a touristic city, the "Cabinieri" (police) are always circling the town throughout the day. Along with the vigilant "Polizia," Sorrento is an extremely safe town. It is just recommended to have common sense when traveling abroad such as do not travel alone at night (especially for females) and more simply because you may never know when something can happen abroad, or in your own backyard. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Being that Sorrento is a touristic town, the prices may be a bit more steep. The good thing is that if you take a short stroll from the city center, you will see a drastic change in price. Where one meal at the plaza can cost you anywhere from 15 to 20 Euro per person, a 10-15 minute walk can lead to a meal costing less than 10 Euro per person. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I would say about $80 - $90 a week on food. I ate out everyday though since it is almost the same cost as buying ingredients and cooking your own food |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to keep a consistent daily budget. I plan to spend anywhere from 15 - 20 Euro a day on food. When I set up the trip abroad through Alfred, they accounted for a budget consisting up to $30 a day on food (about 23 Euro) so by staying slightly below that I can help minimize my expenses. |
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 |
Since the program is in Italy, it is best to either take the Italian course for credit or as an audit. It will help when communicating with the local town folk who do tend to speak English, but are more comfortable talking Italian. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| 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 try it! You may fail and fail again, but the community appreciates you trying to learn their language and I have learned more from being corrected in public so far than being in the classroom. Don't be scared to mess up, you learn better and faster that way. |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | 10+ |
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? | Alfred did a pretty good job of communicating the good and the bad, but this consistency should continue to be met in the future so future students can be fully prepared. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
