Best friends and food for the best year of my life Past Review
By A student (Physics, Italian Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/07/2015 to 05/21/2016 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
I learned more about myself: what I like and dislike and what new things I want to try.
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. |
The academic experience within the ECCO program (the internal courses) were fantastic: the professors were very available, they encouraged us to ask questions and were always willing to re-explain in Italian whatever concepts were unclear. Ivan Tassi, the Writing Workshop professor, was incredible: he encouraged lots of discussion in Italian. His lectures were engaging and interactive, and helped us prepare for ALL exams outside of his course, ranging from history to art history, to Dante's Divine Commedy. The ECCO program made sure we had access to textbooks for these internal courses, and for example the cinema course, they made sure we all had access to viewing the films in preparation for the lectures. The academics within University of Bologna were a completely different experience than the liberal arts system in the US. Of course, the importance of studying abroad is to live this different experience, independent of our personal learning preferences. After an entire year of taking courses internal to ECCO program and regular courses with other Italians at the University of Bologna, I can say that the Italian University system (frontal lectures, minimal assistance from the profs, large courses, no homework, independent preparation for the final oral exam that determines the entire grade) did not work for me, but the internal courses at Ecco definitely made up for that, and of course all the experiences outside of the Univ.Bologna courses counted for much more than the academics. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ECCO program administrators were fantastic: always available to give us advice and willing to go out of their way to support us through the various cultural barriers. I am not the only one in the program to say that I was very comfortable asking for help regarding any aspect of my experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I love the fact that they placed us in student dorms with other Italians: I was very lucky with my rooming situation, in that my roommates became my best friends. The only problem I had was lack of wifi in the dorm, which made it a bit hard to organize skype sessions with friends and family, or to organize trips to other Italian cities. |
| * Food: |
We were left to take care of cooking/shopping to ourselves, which adds another fun dimension to the program - and since all other students (international and italian) are in the same situation, it made the experience more real. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Having italian roommates, being able to take courses at UnivBologna with other Italians, taking cooking classes with a Bolognese cook (organized by the ecco program) and having free time to enjoy the city helped. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
When I had culture shock or foot injuries, the program coordinators immediately sent me information on who to contact, where to go, and how much to expect to pay. At the beginning of the program they invited a mental health educator and the American doctor in Bologna who presented themselves and gave us their contact information. When I needed to go to the hospital or orthopedic for appointments, the coordinators helped me figure out how to get there. |
| * Safety: |
I never had issues with safety in Bologna, even when walking late at night or early in the morning alone. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I loved taking classes at the UniversityBologna and living with Italian students in the dorms |
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) |
By cooking for myself, I was able to save money that I then used for trips to other cities. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100-150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook for yourselves instead of eating out, research bus tickets that cost less than train tickets, ask locals/roommates/other students for any advice |
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 |
We were encouraged only to talk in Italian |
| 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? | a 300-level Italian course |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Avoid spending time with other english-speakers: even though it is difficult, always always speak in Italian. Most Italians who know you are foreign will be willing to listen if you try. Find the friends who are patient and understanding. If you spend time with other study abroad internationals, try to speak to them in Italian. |
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 wish I knew about Erasmus (the european students' study abroad program) in order to connect and make friends from other European countries more earlier in the year (I am staying in Bologna an extra 10weeks during the summer, and mostly in late-May, June I was able to meet and spend time with Erasmus students. |
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.' |
