The greatest summer of my life. Past Review
By Mackenzie B (Government, The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 05/14/2012 to 06/22/2012 with
William & Mary: Syracuse - William and Mary Summer Program in Sicily
I learned a lot about the local culture and mentality which was extremely eye-opening. Especially the Sicilian relation to food is drastically different from the United States.
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? |
Apartment housing allowed for a great deal of privacy and independence. |
| * Food: |
Best food I have had. There were options to shop at a more traditional grocery store, open market, or eat at restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Never used the healthcare system there. |
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| 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) |
Everything in Sicily is cheaper compared to mainland Italy. The groceries in the open market are a great value buy. Spending really depends on how much you eat out at restaurants. |
| * 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? | Under $100 a week. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Budgeting is important. It's also important to check with your bank before going abroad. Withdrawing larger sums from the ATMs makes more sense because there can typically be an ATM fee and also an international fee from your bank. |
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? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 6 years of French but none at the college level. I had no Italian language education prior to my departure. |
| 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? | Online tutorials or software like Rosetta Stone is helpful. Otherwise just try to be outgoing and you will learn a lot from the locals. |
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? |
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? | Do not ever leave your stuff on the beach while you go swimming. Either do not bring anything or really make sure that someone is watching it. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italian Language |
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| Comments: | This class was very useful in helping me communicate with local residents. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
