Ventures in Viterbo Past Review
By A student (University of Tulsa) - abroad from 01/07/2016 to 05/15/2016 with
USAC Italy: Viterbo - Intensive Italian Language, History, and the Arts
I learned that I can depend mainly on myself to take care of myself, both physically and mentally, I can travel anywhere in the world without use of a cell phone, and that I can effectively vet out a city within a short amount of time.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
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? |
Living arrangements were adequate, I had no wifi for a month and a half so that made it hard to communicate back home but that time away from the web gave me great opportunity to integrate into the city I lived in. |
| * Food: |
The food was phenomenal! Fresh ingredients that were grown just within miles from the city I lived in made the cost cheap and rather healthy. Cooking at home with such quality ingredients allowed me to really experience new dishes. The pizzerias, cafes, and restaurants had great food and great service. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With only 30% of the population speaking English, I had to learn Italian extremely fast or else I'd be left behind. I went out on the town often to explore during the day the city outside of the walls and close by cities. In the evening, I went to the Medieval District where a majority of the bars are located and listened to a lot of live music. I met people from all over Italy (mainly Southern Italy) at the bars and the live shows. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Viterbo is an extremely small city;~30,000 population total, ~300 people living inside the walls. The size of the city definitely minimizes safety risks and hazards. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
I would love to study abroad again but there are innumerable amount of programs available in the world and I want to experience new ones. |
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) |
The exchange rate was definitely a burden at times when I had to withdraw large amounts of money to pay rent. My landlady did not accept debit/credit card and that was difficult to accommodate. I do not believe that I was reimbursed properly from my home university's financial aid department. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 50-60 Euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use your debit card when going grocery shopping and save on the ATM withdrawal fees. Shop the local vegetable/fruit shops and you will save a ton! |
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? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Listen to the music of wherever you are going. Watch Netflix or movies ALL in the new language with the new language subtitles. e.g I watched How I met your Mother all in Italian with Italian subtitles. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
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? | The true expense of paying rent and the desire to travel weekly. |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
