Digging Into the Italian Culture Past Review
By Faith B (English, Comparative Literature, Classics, Trinity University) - abroad from 01/18/2012 to 05/13/2012 with
CET Siena
It was so worthwhile! I got to learn about a whole new culture, and I think that this really expanded my worldview.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
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 |
Christina Angellili, our Resident Director, was completely fantastic! She was always available to answer our questions, and she helped the transition into a new culture go as smoothly as possible. Moreover, she was very organized, and made sure that we knew what was happening in the program. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had an optimal experience as far as my housing is concerned - my host mother was absolutely wonderful. |
| * Food: |
My host mother cooked Italian food for me every evening. Delicious. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since I lived with a host family, I felt more integrated into the culture than the people who lived with Italian roommates instead of Italian host families. We spoke a lot of Italian at home, and my host mother took me to all kinds of family events, so I really got to see how every day Italian life works, which I loved. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health issues while abroad, so I can't really answer this question. |
| * Safety: |
Siena is extremely safe - there is hardly even any petty crime, much less major crime. While I wouldn't advise walking around a strange city in the middle of the night by yourself, on the few occasions when I did so, I felt quite safe and wasn't bothered by anyone. |
| 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) |
I had an extremely limited budget while I was abroad, so I had to be really stingy with my money, but even though Italy is not the cheapest of places, I was able to make it work, especially since I only had to buy my lunches during the week (my host mother fed me breakfast and dinner). However, travelling is an entirely different story - travelling ends up being more expensive than you want it to be no matter what, so I had to pick and choose where I wanted to go very carefully. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably about 25 euros per week on the weeks I wasn't travelling. |
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 |
The language courses were fairly intense, which I appreciated, and every Thursday was "Italian only" day. I kind of wish that we had been pushed even harder to speak Italian while at school, but I'm also very happy with my progress in Italian. |
| 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? | I had completed upper division language courses in Spanish and Latin, but I knew no Italian before coming to Italy. |
| 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? | Live with a host family! This was the only way I was able to learn so much Italian in four months. My host family started out by speaking about 2/3 English and 1/3 Italian, but by the end we barely spoke any English, and this made all the difference in the world. |
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? | There are so many cool places to visit in Italy, and travel expenses add up really quickly, so be sure to budget wisely! |
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.' |
