Best semester! Past Review
By Anna B (English Language and Literature, Bowdoin College) - abroad from 01/08/2015 to 05/22/2015 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
My semester abroad was probably the best thing I've done in college. It was an incredible experience, Bologna is amazing, Italy is amazing.
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. |
We learned a LOT of Italian, but our classes didn't require a lot of outside work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived with Italian roommates, which was great for learning the language. Overall, it was a great experience, however, the apartments were tiny and loud, which made it tough to get enough sleep. |
| * Food: |
Definitely a highlight of the semester! Bologna's food is incredible. |
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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? |
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| * Safety: |
Bologna is very much a university city- I always felt completely safe, day or night. |
| 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) |
We had a food allowance that was about 90 euros a week, which covered most of our costs. I definitely spent more when I traveled. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | In addition to the food allowance, probably 50-60 euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook with friends- it's cheaper than cooking alone! Travel within Italy, it's great to get to see other parts of the country and saves money. I was also able to tutor Italian students in English to have extra money. |
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? | Advanced |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Fluent |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Third year, 1st semester |
| How many hours per day did you use 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? | Save as much money for study abroad as possible- your daily expenses will be much higher than they are at college. |
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! |
