Year in Alba Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The expectation for classes (especially Italian) is that you are constantly working and studying on your own to master the language. Italian class will not teach you how to speak Italian, it will give you the tools that you need to learn during your stay. You should come with a genuine interest to learn the language.

On-site administration of your program

The Fall semester had 5 people. It was a little smaller than I had hoped, but very good all the same. The staff/faculty in Alba are wonderfully knowledgeable, helpful and organized.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Living with a group of Americans is more comfortable, however it does little to help learning a new language. I was able to talk with my colleagues in Italian because we were both trying to learn the language together and spoke at the same level. Alba does not have that much of a nightlife and so you must make your own fun.

The food in Alba is fantastic! The MENSA is great and the local restaurants are authentic and fantastic. If you have the apartment on Piazza Grassi, it has a wonderful kitchen. However if you want to cook, you must buy food on your own. You are given tickets/meal vouchers to cover your meals at selected restaurants and the MENSA, but outside of that you are on your own. Please realize, as simplistic as it might seem, that they eat Italian food here. In America we are used to a very large variety of food on a regular basis, but in Italy they eat very similar things every day. I personally enjoyed the limited diet and enjoyed the stability, but other students were sick of it by the time they were done. Like I said, it is great if you like Italian food!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The Truffle Festival Parade (in the Fall) was a lot of fun! I am a musician so I got to travel a lot and perform in many different places with many different people. We also got to go to Florence as a group and took weekend trips to different places in Italy.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Alba is very safe. Joanna, our ORA was very helpful with all of our health concerns.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

You must actively try to learn the language on your own in addition to taking Italian class. Read newspapers, study verbs and vocabulary, do your Italian homework, talk with people on trains. You do need to use basic Italian in everyday interactions. For me, I was able to read and write sooner than I could speak reasonably, so I made a couple local friends and chatted with them with Facebook messages. Most people in the community do not speak English fluently. I would recommend doing some studying before you come. Noun flashcards...YouTube videos in Italian and even some Rosetta Stone if you can manage it.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

• Athenticity
• Opportunity
• Safety

• Organization from the Maryland campus