Ciao, Cortona! Past Review
By Erica L (Illustration., University of Hartford) for
University of Georgia: Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy
...Words can't really describe how amazing this experience was. For one thing, it made me lose my fear of trying new things and forced me to be spontaneous in every barrier that came my way. I think I also got the travel bug from this.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My overall education experience was a very positive one. The faculty are genuinely cared about you and go beyond their hired abilities to take care of you. The education is completely in tune with the coutnry and gave trips every weekend to make sure that the student is able to experience all of Italy. There is a lot of freedom in working as well so that the student rarely ever feels hindered by what one should or shouldn' do. It was definitely life changing. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
All of the admins are very knowledgable pertaining to Italy and were always prepared for any events that needed doing and even had backup plans for cetain trip emergencies. They also went beyond their asked capabilities and did many unselfish things to make sure that the student accomedations were met. Overall, the program was far better than even my highest expectations. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Everything is given at your dorms which includes sheets and towels. Only some personal items like hygenics (soap, toothbrush, etc) need to bought on your own. Cortona is also very safe and it's even possible to walk around town late at night without feeling threatened except for the occasional misplaced pavement. Classes were often in the same building as your dorms and the studios were a couple of steps away from the dorms as well. Nightlife is limited, but there is a bar and a club to hang around in. |
| * Food: |
Breakfast was fulfilling and dinners are given at a very good restaurant with different courses for each day. Lunches, however, must be found on your own, though the main market (Molesini) gives a sandwich ticket for students to use to get savings on the tenth sandwich bought. There are also cafes opened in the Fall semester that give quick meals and there are fruit markets most mornings where one is able to get something quick to eat there. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In Cortona is wine-making and a gallery show. There are also field trips to some other city every weekend and in those cities there are often prearranged museum and church trips as well as recommendations of other places and times for you to wander around on your own in those cities. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Cortona is very safe. Rather, it's nature that you have to worry about, but even then that danger is limited. Just don't go around sitting on walls or climbing them as you can fall off a loose stone some several feet off the ground or get stung by a hiding scorpion respectively. |
| 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? | Well, I can't remember how much I spent each month, but, overall, it is possible to spend over $2500 on personal expenses on your own due to food, clothes, and hygenics. On a normal week, however, spending only 20 Euros is possible. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Shopping. We were not told that shopping is addicting in Italy. Be warned that the cheap open market places are a vacuum for your money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
There are Italian classes in the program, but I couldn't take them due to some circumstances. However, most of the natives are able to speak English fairly well so that rarely one is reduced to hand motions for communication. However, inevitably, one does pick up many Italian phrases as one is surronded with the native language in Cortona (and the rest of the country naturally) and it makes things a lot easier when greeting a stranger for help or just in friendship. |
| 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? | If you don't mind the sun, the walking, the steep hills, the museums, the churches, the travelling, the language barriers, and willing to explore all that you can the minute you step off the bus, then this place is definitely for you. It also helps that you're not a picky eater as well as the food is too good to waste on being sensitive to vegetables or the large amount of pasta that is given in every dinner. |
