A lot of culture, not as much school Past Review
By A student (Stephen F. Austin State University) - abroad from 05/11/2012 to 05/30/2012 with
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA): Rome, Florence and Venice - Psychology in Italy, Maymester
I learned about an entirely different world. It changed my views on a lot of things. The experience itself was entirely worthwhile, even if the class was a bit of a pain.
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. |
I don't feel as if I learned a lot about material that actually pertained to the class. I learned a lot, but not necessarily about Psychology. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartments were quite adequate. Nothing fancy, but it had everything we needed. |
| * Food: |
Italian food is delicious! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
A couple friends there and I spent as much time as possible exploring our surroundings and getting to know as many people as we could. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
We were told to rest if we felt ill. I know one girl was taken to the hospital and was taken care of there. |
| * Safety: |
I never really felt threatened. I would much rather walk around alone in Italy than alone in Houston. |
| 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) |
Italy was fairly expensive. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably 300+, but I bought entirely too many souvenirs for family/friends. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy ingredients to make food. Do not buy every meal. |
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 |
We were given a brief explanation of the language and encouraged to get Italian dictionaries. We weren't forced to, but many of us used the native language out of respect. |
| 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? | SPA 232 |
| 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? | Knowing another romantic language helps, but the easiest thing to do is get an Italian dictionary. Flip through it at night. Go to non-tourist areas during the day. They won't speak a lot of English and you'll be forced to practice some Italian. |
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? |
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? | Exactly what the requirements of the class were. |
