Experiencing Italy Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were interesting and although there were not a lot of different classes offered, they were offered in various topics. The grading system was not consistent from class to class and varied by professor which is something to be expected in any college. Teaching methods were very different from my home institution because all of my professors were European and Europeans are traditionally more independent learners who are given more freedom in their work. The classes were very reasonable in the amount of work given, as most major assignments were given at the beginning of the semester with end of term due dates. If assignments were put off until the last minute creating a large work load, it was the fault of students not of the professors. The Italian classes did a very good job of spacing out quizzes and tests evenly throughout the semester which was very helpful.

On-site administration of your program

The staff was absolutely wonderful and willing to help with anything that students needed. Even though there were over 100 students, the staff still knew everyone by name and were very social and approachable.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My apartment was very close to class and the main street in the city. I always felt very safe and very close to anything I needed.

My apartment had the facilities to cook so a majority of meals were made there with my roommates and friends. The grocery stores in Italy are not as big as American ones, but the food is fresher which means the quality is better. There were plenty of places to eat out any time we wanted to and eating out you could spend as little or as much as you wanted to.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The events that the program put on like Tandem and Pizza Nights were great. Also the field trips that the classes had were a lot of fun and relevant to the classes.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I never had any personal experiences with seeing a doctor, but accessing any pharmacy was very simple. The staff can go with you if you need them or can write down in Italian exactly what you need and a pharmacist can provide you with what you need. The town I lived in was very safe and I never felt like I was in danger. But also, I never walked around at night by myself and always was very observant and conscious of my surroundings. Like anywhere, I think you just have to be careful and make wise decisions.

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

The town was small so most locals that were not students did not speak much English. The school was very helpful with language acquisition starting from day one when there was an entire week devoted to an intensive Italian language week. The week taught us basics about apartment living, grocery shopping, train riding, etc. It was very helpful. The school also provided a program called "Tandem" often for Italian students and English students to practice their language skills with each other.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans