Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Italy was beautiful, the food was amazing, life was amazing! Past Review

By (Business Administration, University of Texas - Arlington) - abroad from 07/05/2012 to 08/08/2012 with

USAC Italy: Torino - International Business, Politics, Architecture, and Italian Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
In the end it was worth every penny that I spent. I am now friends with many Americans across the U.S. I am more global aware of economical and political issues, as well as I'm more aware of what people in Europe like/dislike.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I was really exposed to education about the Euro crisis in my Economics class, global marketing techinques in my international marketing class, and learned cultural difference from meeting local citizens.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved our apartment in the fact that it had many things other apartments lacked, such as a television, microwave, oven, and free wifi. Also, it was very close to the university campus. However, there was a bug problem in the apartment that was caused by the previous students in Summer 1. The issue was increasing and was not taken care of. Also, sometimes at random hours the wifi would stop working. Our landlord was hard to get in touch with because she was always out of town and to our disadvantage the motum to the internet was in her apartment. This made it very difficult to do our homework assignments once the school closed.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I became a local to a family owned resturant close to where I lived. The man from the near by gelato shop knew who I was and at other cafes as well. Even though I wish I would have learned Italian previous to my trip I learned the key words to get around. I met many local students and explored around the town, such as museums, dancing, bars, etc.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Just don't walk around at night time by yourself. A big group or at least 3-4 people is good.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Finances

* 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)

Because I have to support myself It was very difficult at times, especially the last two weeks of my trip to support myself with food and other utilities. Trips can be pricey especially because it is during the summer and the Olympics was going on in a near by country, which increased travel expenses. I had to eat cheaply majority of the time to support any type of travel, big or small, that I wanted to participate in.

* 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? 1,500
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Start saving at the beginning of the year if you know well in advanced you are studying aboard. I suggest to pay off any bills you have at your house, apartment, or whereever you live in advance before you leave because they also has to factor into your spending when your abroad. Also, try to keep a journal or expense book to keep up with your spending. When in countries that rely mostly on using money rather than debit/credit/checks, it is very easy to loose track.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? 0 years of Italian and 3 years of Spanish
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? Try to learn at least three to five words per day that you have not learned before. Attempt to use them throughout the date or in a conversation. Even create note cards if you're a visual learner. Also, Roseda Stone is great, but it is very expensive and it must be done months prior to your trip.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The friends that I made, americans and locals.
  • All the great food I got to try and the wines of course.
  • The environmental awareness of Italy, such as recycling, saving electricity, and all natural foods.
* What could be improved?
  • The communication between landlords and students.
  • Each student apartment should have wifi connection or major improvement on wifi in apartments.
  • Communication on issues with the landloard and advisors at host university.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I would have known all the places I wanted to travel ahead of time so that I was better prepared for cold weather conditions. I wish I would have brought a backpack instead of an athletic bag to travel with. Also, I wish I would have brought an Italian translation book because it would have been very helpful.