Study Abroad: The Great Umbra Adventure Past Review
By Claudia Heim (Connecticut College) - abroad from 08/24/2018 to 12/15/2018 with
Umbra Institute: Perugia - Direct Enrollment in Semester, Summer or Academic Year Programs
I learned more Italian and I think it helped me also become more independent.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
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| * Food: |
No on-site cafeteria. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt well integrated especially through getting the opportunity to live with an Italian family and through the activities offered by the program. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
They were made accessible, but I did not need to use them. |
| * Safety: |
Good safety tutorial provided during orientation by local police officer. I never felt unsafe walking home, but did feel I at least needed to be aware of my surroundings, like any city. |
| 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? | $30-$50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pack your lunch and don't buy lunch out every day. Make dinner as well. |
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? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate Italian at 200 level (2 years) |
| 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? | Staying with a host family was a really great way to learn the language. I also made sure to try to use it with my professors and the other staff members at the university and around town. I also watched TV and films in Italian. |
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? | 0 |
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? | How far away my host home was from the school. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italian 310 |
| Course Department: | Italian |
| Instructor: | Francesco Gardeghi |
| Instruction Language: | Italian |
| Comments: | Professor was always well prepared. I progressed a lot in the language and felt he did a good job of teaching us about the region through short class field trips in Perugia. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
