Little Italy January 30, 2024
By Julia L (Psychology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/01/2023 to 12/17/2023 with
Arcadia: ISI Perugia - The Umbra Institute
It was worthwhile -- travel experience, overcoming culture shock, independence
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
This is not really the place to go if you're looking for a rigorous academic experience. The classes were really easy compared to Wellesley with not much work and also very simple discussions |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I really liked the student services office---they were helpful and kind. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had the most amazing apartment right in the center of the city. |
| * Food: |
No meal plan -- N/A? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
There were opportunities to get very integrated |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The school doctor made a lot of people uncomfortable and he only came on Tuesday afternoons. So, if you got sick on Wednesday you had to wait about a week to get checked out and if you had to miss class you needed to wait a week to get those excused. We also had to pay 60 euro in cash at the meeting that could be reimbursed through insurance but the whole thing was kinda weird. |
| * Safety: |
I felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The issue with Perugia is that it's very far from a major airport (Rome) so it's difficult to travel easily, and you spend a lot more money having to get there. It's also a very small city with little diversity in food and people, though it's beautiful and charming. |
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) |
I lived in a cheap city so general expenses were not too bad, but taking trips accounted for a lot of money spent. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | without a trip, about 50 euro. with a trip, 300-400 |
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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | nothing |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | 0 |
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? | That it would be difficult to get to a major airport |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
