Italian Adventure Past Review
By A student (Classical Civilization and Italian, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/06/2012 to 12/21/2012 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
I think more than anything I learned academically (who knows if I'll use italian after graduation), I learned how to be self-sufficient. I was removed from family, a familiar setting, and friends. I learned how to be a better communicator (in italian and in general), provide for myself (cooking/cleaning), and I made it through the tough transition on my own. It was a great way to gain confidence in myself and feel empowered as an individual going into graduation year. I've also taken on a healthier attitude towards studying and life. I realized that life is not studying and that it is not healthy to do too much of something to the point of perfectionism (the Wellesley tendency).
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. |
The italian university system itself was not at all at the same level as Wellesley, but the ECCO courses were very interesting and rigorous in the sense that my italian skills were challenged. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The entire ECCO staff was very helpful and accommodating, especially the italian administrators (Giuliana, Ivan, Nella-Lecce, and Mariantonetta). The resident director from the home institution (Valerie) played less of an administrative role, but it was nice having her there with us as a "mother-figure"/extra support. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
There was a very big internet problem when we moved into the dorms in Bologna. I know that Giuliana worked very hard to fix the problem, even though she did not have very much control over things getting done in the student dorms. I would not blame the program for the internet problem, but I would suggest looking into alternative housing for the ECCO students. I did not feel like living in the studentati was very realistic setting because most UNIBO students find their own apartments and choose who they live with. |
| * Food: |
The dinners that the program paid for were OUTSTANDING. The last meal in Lecce was my absolute favorite. I wish we would have had a similar dinner in Bologna (there was a very nice lunch). The cooking classes were also good. I wish we would have learned how to make more simple dishes that we could easily recreate on our own. I also liked not living with a host family, so I had to figure out how to shop for my own groceries/cook/socialize with my roommates over meals. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I feel like the Americans were somewhat isolated. I think that is for two reasons: one, the studentati are very isolating. You do not meet very many italians other than your roommates, and it seemed like many of the people living there were not italian but italian speakers. The second reason is that we had a lot of time to bond in Lecce. Only two out of our entire group did not go to Lecce, so we had that time to bond before we got to Bologna. The bonding is not necessarily a bad thing, but I think it made me less motivated to find new friends when I got to Bologna. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any health issues while I was abroad, and I'm glad I didn't. I know a few people on the program had to go into the emergency room for minor (but need-worthy) issues, and the Italian doctors either did not treat them very well or did not offer service. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Bologna on the whole. I feel like Italians will target Americans more and have more extreme feelings toward Americans, so as long as you do not act in a rude way or do inappropriate things you won't draw attention to yourself. I think the program needs to do a better job of preparing its female students for the gender culture shock in Italy. I had a very hard time understanding why it was ok for men to stare/catcall in Italy because most men do not do that often in the US. I eventually came to terms with it as a cultural difference, and I stopped feeling angry when it happened. I wish someone had given me better warning about what to expect. |
| 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) |
The stipend covered the food expense very well. The cultural experience budget covered most small costs (museums, movies, etc). Some larger purchases like tickets to a soccer game or train tickets within Italy used up a lot of people's money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $20 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | -plan a budget for how much you want to spend per day on food -buy groceries, don't go out all the time to eat (save up for when you do) -don't expect to use the stipend money for travel -cook dinner with friends |
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? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | italian 202 |
| 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? | It's hard/unnatural to get into the habit of speaking to the other americans in the group in Italian outside of the ECCO offices. Make sure to speak italian always in the office, when you're going to your UNIBO class, or when you are on a cultural adventure. |
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? | I don't wish I knew anything more than I did. I had enough information to be prepared, but I think the most important outcome of the program was the learning process. I guess if I could I would give myself better advice on how to apply for a visa, rather than relying on the OIS for information. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
