Studying in Italy: The cool, non-touristy version July 17, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I loved the structure of the class because while it was very lecture based, our professor encouraged beneficial conversations as part of the class grade.

On-site administration of your program

My professor seemed very well-prepared and able to go with the flow. He was willing to listen to our concerns and help us out in any way we needed.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved the fact that we got to stay in such a cool place like a monastery. There wasn't any AC in the heat of June but most places in Italy didn't have AC so I adapted. The hotels we stayed in on our excursion too, it felt like an authentic Italian experience rather than completely touristy.

The authenticity of the food we ate was unmatchable. I am so grateful for both the monastery meals and the meals we ate out on the town. Pasta in America will never taste the same and it was so fun to try new things!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We were only there for a month but after about 2 weeks, I felt like I picked up on some Italian characteristics and learned some of the lingo to help fit in. However, the language barrier was an obvious sign we were American but mostly everyone was super sweet and welcoming and willing to help us.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have to experience any healthcare issues but I know that some girls on the trip did and when we went to a pharmacy, medicine was a lot cheaper and the pharmacist gave us some free medical advice.

Perugia is the perfect size to use as a home base when traveling. You might be spending a bit more money on train tickets to bigger cities like Venice or Naples but I felt so safe and a sense of home when we came back to Perugia after excursions. The city is fairly easy to navigate after a couple of days of walking around and a lot of people are more than willing to help you out whether it's finding the nearest grocery store, figuring out a menu, or translating for you. Nightlife is just enough for college kids because it's very active in the piazza, but not too crazy where you feel unsafe.

I feel like every experience I had was very unique to me because of how the group travelled and our comfortability with each other. It is inevitable to have moments where you feel like a tourist but they were few and far between for me. We had a town we were staying in for the duration of the month and in addition went on excursions to places around our city and in our "home base" city, the sense of familiarity was very comforting. I liked how the whole trip wasn't planned out to the minute and we had some freedom to do our own exploring as well.

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

It honestly depends on what you want out of your experience. If all you want is a couple souvenirs from the places you go, it's pretty affordable you just have to budget and try your best not to get scammed. I saved a lot of money for this trip and honestly didn't limit myself to what I bought because I had been anticipating and saving for this trip for so long. But I would say it is more than a student's budget but not by much if the proper planning goes into it.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

It wasn't initially encouraged but it became a common understanding among as we all adjusted to the area.

Select all that apply

• Other
• Hotel

Select all that apply

• Local Students
• Other

Select all that apply

• Americans

• place of stay
• freedom
• individualism

• planning (mainly excursions)
• communication

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