Studying abroad is an experience, not an education. Past Review
By ShirleeJae I (Architecture, Alfred State College - SUNY College of Technology) - abroad from 01/25/2016 to 05/13/2016 with
Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy
I learned how to experience architecture. There is an inexplainable internal knowledge an architecture student gains through experience and admiration. The architecture available in Europe has history that architecture in the US cannot offer.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were easier than they've ever been this semester. I didn't necessarily feel challenged. Resources like printers, scanners and other technological resources that we are used to were not available. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
It turns out that I'm not the biggest fan of some Italian norms, but Sant'Anna made it all worth it. The staff and other students were all great people and there was plenty of opportunity to spend time with each other. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment I was assigned was small and cozy. Any issues were addressed immediately and we were able to build a good relationship with the owners. Cleaning occurred every week without fail. Resources were available. This was small and there wasn't much space for all the people living there, space for schoolwork and the wifi was not reliable. |
| * Food: |
How could you not like Italian food. I was great trying new things and learning what is Italian and what is American Italian. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I was very nervous about jumping into the culture and I got very frustrated when I was forced to. The language barrier and they way local citizens judged me was irritating. I had no travel experience and knew nothing about Italian culture before coming. It took me too long to adjust. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not need healthcare in my time here. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safer walking through Sorrento than I do walking through Alfred State campus. Very safe in this town. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I chose to attend Alfred State College for this study abroad program. Although I had my struggles, experiencing a new country, learning about a new culture was eye opening. The architecture I had the opportunity to experience in Italy alone is worth everything. |
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 had the requirement for immigration laws asked for. I lived well in the first half of the semester, but after spring break, a strict budget was necessary. In the last three weeks of the semester, I struggled a lot. I had to spend as little as I could on food and could not go out to restaurants at all. This is all effected by personal expenses including extra money spent during spring break. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 euro to 150 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Try to not blow money when you first get here. The first two weeks is very exciting and it is easy to go to restaurants and eat gelato much too often. Set a budget before coming and do your best to stick to that budget. |
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 program itself did not force me to us the language often. My speaking and communication skills in the language are very weak. |
| 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? | High school French IV |
| 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? | Try to learn as much as you can before arriving. Work with a friend to build your communication skills. Basic vocabulary and how to ask questions could be very helpful. |
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?
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? | A little bit of Italian, how to use money wisely |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
