Italy was a great experience that consisted of great food, great shopping and great friendships. Past Review
By Emily B (Elementary Education EC-6, Stephen F. Austin State University) for
Stephen F. Austin State University (SFA): Traveling - Early Childhood Education, Italy
Absolutely. I loved every minute. I got to eat incredible foreign food that I cannot eat in the US. I got to see buildings that are older than the US. I got to meet amazing teachers, children, and people in general. I learned so many new teaching theories that I will bring back to my classroom in the US. I did not have one bad experience with the program and will encourage anyone considering it to go. It is truly a one-in-a-lifetime experience.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
We were not connected with another University for the study abroad program. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I thought the program put together a great trip for the SFA class. It had a very good balance of work and play. It also fit most tourist places in the trip along with visiting many different cities although we were staying in only three cities. However their organization with the transportation was a little weak. Especially in Rome where our transportation consisted solely of public transportation. There was some confusion, even with the guide, that could have been prevented with a bus. It would probably have cost more, but would have saved a lot of trouble in the long run. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I thoroughly enjoyed the food in Italy. Some of the best places to eat were tiny little places off the main road, though every other shop was a gelato shop, and you can't go wrong with any of them. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I really enjoyed going to the smaller cities around the larger cities in which we were staying. The wine tasting was especially wonderful. The cathedrals were also incredible. Although this was not my home country, listening to the history of the various cities was something very special to me. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Not once in Italy did I feel unsafe. The hotels were in very good parts of the cities as well as the restaurants. Even the night scene felt safe. Yes there were some interesting people, but they never made me feel uneasy. One hint for future students is to be careful and cautious, but not to the point where you cannot enjoy the culture and overall trip. As for my health, I felt fine for the most part of the trip. The last two days I developed a cold, but went to a local Pharmacy and bought some cold medicine. The pharmacist was very helpful in telling me how and when to take it because all of the instructions were in Italian. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Granted we were there for only two weeks and went shopping almost every other afternoon, I spent around twelve hundred US dollars. This consisted of food, souvenirs for not only myself, but also my family, and also some public transportation. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | We were notified about almost all of the expenses before going to Italy. However when we arrived, we were told that Italy practically charges you to breathe. This meant that they charged you for the bathrooms and overcharged for water. One thing that I wish I was informed of though is that most of the shopping people did was with the street vendors. These shops did not take credit cards, which is the main form of payment I brought. For future students, I would tell them to bring more cash then a credit card. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | A student with an open mind about various cultures would benefit the most from these programs. If you are set in your own ways and refuse to experience different cultures, then you cannot enjoy the trip. I think that one thing I really liked was keeping a journal. Going to such an incredible country for two weeks entailed a lot of go-go-go. Writing in a journal every night helps me remember exactly what I did. |
