I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/05/2013 to 12/20/2013 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
YES!!! This was one of the greatest experiences of my life and I am so grateful to have had this amazing opportunity.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Classes were challenging enough (and I learned a lot) but definitely manageable! I enjoyed all of my courses a lot. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Some people were absolutely wonderful and seriously bent over backwards to help us (Giuliana, Christina, and Nella, especially!), although I did not find our director to be supportive or accessible at all. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorm I was in (Ghigi) was located in a somewhat-sketchy part of town (i.e. there are prostitutes on the main street next to the dorm, I never felt safe enough to walk there alone, etc), and was very far from the city center, around a 30-40 minute walk each way. The apartment itself was dingy and not very nice. Because of this, I never spent much time there, which I was perfectly content with. |
| * Food: |
Bologna is considered by many to be the food capital of Italy...this is something I definitely agree with. I always ate breakfast at home, and cooked dinner for myself during some weekdays, which allowed me to get cheap (yet quality) lunches and dinners out. It's all about finding balance with cooking and going to great restaurants! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got stung by a jellyfish early on in the program in Lecce and people were very helpful (shout out to Nella!). Nella drove me to all of my doctor's appointments and took me to the pharmacy to get medicine, and overall was very helpful! Fortunately, that was my only encounter with the Italian healthcare system, and I found that ECCO was very supportive. |
| * Safety: |
Let's just say that the only time I ever walked anywhere alone was during the day, and even then I was still very conscious of the fact that people would probably approach me and try to talk to me. It's important to be street-smart and to constantly be aware of your surroundings and belongings (there are many pickpockets; my Italian cell phone got stolen one time). |
| 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 food stipend really was great and helped offset a lot of costs. |
| 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? | Picnic lunches are cheap AND a total blast. Save where you can (eat breakfast in, don't buy more than 1 cappuccino out per day, etc), and that will allow you some more room to splurge on fun things. Oftentimes you can go to a salumeria and ask them to make you a sandwich, which can sometimes cost only €2! |
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 |
They encouraged it but did not enforce it too well. |
| 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? | 271 |
| 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? | Talk to people! Italians are very friendly and, generally speaking, were very willing to answer any questions I had about the language. |
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 would have liked to know more of what to expect during the Lecce program! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
