Going to school in Padova was too good to be real life Past Review
By John C (Italian Language and Literature., Tulane University) for
Boston University: Padua - Italian and European Studies Program
Yes. The low number of course credits and large amount of money I spent are both tough but definitely worth it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was very easy throughout the semester and I only had one course with consistent nightly homework. It is very clear that all of the teachers enjoy teaching their materials to us. Most of the courses feature class trips to places relevant to the course-work. This made the material much more interesting because, for example, we got to see several works of Giotto in person for the Art History class. The exams at the end were difficult because they were all the same week but were not unmanageable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff there was very encouraging and friendly in interactions with the students but were also quite unorganized. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My living situation with my host-family was very positive overall. They were perfectly okay with me going out at night and coming back late, so long as I did not make much noise when I got back. I had around three dinners each week with my host family and I enjoyed those dinners with them. Even though I traveled a lot, I still felt close with them by the end. |
| * Food: |
For lunch, there are a lot of good sandwich shops and small restaurants that are open only during the day. Some of these are Zanellato and Il Gottino, though there are tons of others. For dinner, there is a nearly endless number of options but some of my favorites were "Dai Gemelli", "Vecchio Falconiere" and "Mare Chiaro". |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Students on the program generally become very close friends and spend a lot of time together. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I have a lot of allergies and, at the meals we had together, we very careful to ask the waiters if I needed help. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Expect to spend a lot. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 18th Century Italian Literature at 400-level |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
We spoke Italian with the professors; strictly in class and generally outside out class as well. |
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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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | The people who enjoyed this program the most were very outgoing and open to new experiences. You will get what you put into the program so, if you really want to be there, you will love it. |
