Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Dolomite Summer School is the Best! Past Review

By (Animation, University of Colorado - Denver) - abroad from 07/18/2015 to 08/12/2015 with

Dolomit Summer School on Lake Garda

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned a lot about the history of the areas we visited and Italian art. The people we met were very eager to teach us all about their culture and why their love for Italy is so strong. It was amazing to learn about the passion that everyone had for their country and their heritage.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Our professor, Anna, was very knowledgeable and made sure the class was entertaining and interesting. The excursions we went on worked very well with the material we learned in-class.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Juri and Manola are the best! They are two of the best people you will meet and go out of their way to make sure their students are happy and healthy. Trust me, you want to meet them!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Hotel Centrale was amazing! The owners were super nice and accommodating. The food was among the best we tried during our stay and the location was perfect.

* Food:

Trying local dishes such as strangolapreti was super cool! One of my traveling companions is vegetarian but he still had many wonderful options to choose from. No complaints.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There was a great blend of Italian and German cultures! One great experience we had was listening to some locals play music at a pub. Practically everyone we met was super friendly.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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)

As with any study abroad course, it is going to be expensive for a student. We found that the food and housing was very affordable. Juri works very hard to make sure students are getting the best deals on accommodations and transportation.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The people! The coordinators, teacher and the others we met were all great.
  • Hiking in the Dolomites. Our excursion into the Italian Alps was my personal favorite part of the trip.
  • The amount of time we had to explore and enjoy ourselves is one of the reasons this program was so incredible.
* What could be improved?
  • More students would have been nice but I know this will get better in future years.
  • Not much else could be done to make this program better.
  • I really had a fantastic time so I'm sure what could be improved upon. It's really up to the students to seize all the opportunities they can and make the most of it.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Always being well-prepared when going somewhere new is very important. I suppose learning to adapt is part of the experience but figuring out how to get around in a different country/city, especially Venice, can be tricky. Luckily the locals were very helpful and we were always able to get to our destinations without too much hassle.