A Bit of Etruscan Italy Past Review
By Liz F (Italian, The University of Texas at Austin) for
Arcadia: ISI Perugia - The Umbra Institute
Yes. I learned so much about living with a group of people that I didn't know. A lot of us are really close now.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The intensive language program was a lot of class time and work, but I enjoyed it so much. The teachers were all Italian and made you speak Italian the whole time. We were in class anywhere from 3-5 hours a day. We wrote 1-2 page compositions about once a week. The midterm and final weren't overly hard, but they did require preparation. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
My advisor from UT was great, the coordinator in the states from Arcadia didn't respond to any of my emails, but other students said he was great. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It helped to have a family next door and an Italian girl living with me because I was forced to practice a lot more. The neighborhood I was in was a bit outside of the center of the city. I wasn't comfortable walking home after dark as a girl alone. The family also provided all of my sheets, towels, cookware, etc. They were so great and welcomed me with open arms. |
| * Food: |
The food was incredible. Some people complained about getting tired of just eating pasta and pizza, but there are more than 2 places to eat and it's not that hard to figure it out. The homey places are the best. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I loved being able to travel to the little cities in Tuscany and get little glimpses of Italian lifestyle. Also the big, famous cities are incredible to explore. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
The city felt very safe. I never had any issues so I didn't need to use the healthcare system. There weren't any vaccines necessary. |
| 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) |
|
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We used Italian all the time, especially in the class room. In Perugia, not including the students, very few people spoke English so we got a lot of practice in everyday interactions. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Do it! Do it! Do it! If you want to learn Italian with great teachers in a city unlike any other Italian city...this program is so great! |
