Living in Sorrento Past Review
By Jackson Stone (University of North Carolina - Wilmington) - abroad from 01/22/2018 to 05/11/2018 with
Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy
My main focus coming to Sorrento was using my internship to develop communication skills I can apply to my accountancy career and daily life and I'm positive gains were made.
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. |
My classes abroad are exactly what I expected before coming abroad, a minor language barrier doesn't detract from the real-world based lessons and field trips the classes consist of. The courses aren't the most rigorous yet this is optimal for creating your own experiences. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
With minimal bureaucracy and a small/close-knit staff, decisions happen quickly and the administration truly wants what is best for their students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The only complete campus in all of Southern Italy for students looking to study abroad, the new residence halls are located immediately above all classrooms and offices. With approximately weekly room cleanings by the so kind Elina and security held down by her husband Emilio, or his counterpart Rafaela, you will feel at home |
| * Food: |
The food of the mediterranean diet is what you are going to be looking forward to. I feast daily whether that be a meal I have out or I cook myself in the residence hall's kitchen, this side of the Italian lifestyle must be adapted when studying abroad in Italy. Restaurants are the most lucrative and prevalent businesses in Sorrento, alas if you have a gluten intolerance or fish allergy southern Italy is not the place for you. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Studying at Sant'Anna in the spring semester I was introduced to life in Sorrento much different than a student studying in the summer or fall semesters. During the off season whilst the tourists are staying away from the cold and rainy Sorrentine coastline local businesses take things a degree slower and are much more interested in helping you understand whatever it is they have to offer. As the more capable my Italian became the more enjoyable my interactions with locals became, such as my friend Francesco who works with his cousin at a small market called Bocanchino who has a deal with Sant'Anna hooking up a panino con prosciutto e mozzarella for only 3.50 Euro's. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Sorrento is actually the safest city I have been to maybe in all of my life, being only a town of 10,000 you see the same people frequently and I haven't had fear for my wellbeing once. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I have no complaints and it has been a wonderful experience full of introspective growth. |
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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Easily 100$+ |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Save up as much money as you can before coming for you will be spending a good bit especially if you plan on traveling all over Europe as I have. |
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 |
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| 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? | My only Italian class, and that being the most basic, was taken here in Sorrento with Sant'Anna. |
| 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 find local Italians who share common interests and learn the language from there, planting seeds in different realms of life with different vocabularies that will help your Italian grow. |
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? |
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? | Their is no Indian food within dinner distance. |
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.' |
