An academic, and gastronomic highlight to my college experience Past Review
By A student (Italian Language, Literature, History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/04/2015 to 12/17/2015 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
Completely worthwhile. I came not believing I would really learn the language, and was scared of living and learning with Italian students. Those aspects of the program that scared me most ended up being he best part. I explored a culture, stuck through the uncomfortable part (out of necessity) and earned so much for it.
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. |
Rigorous academics, a helpful combination of exposure to the Italian education system and internal immersion courses that improved our language and writing skills. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very approachable, sought to help everyone have a safe, diverse, unique experience. They went out of their way to point us in the right academic direction for UniBo, integrate us into Bologna's community and space, and make sure everyone felt safe and comfortable despite being so far from familiarity. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was hard being with Italian students but in a productive way - I learned the language a lot because of them, made Italian friends my own age, and figured out how to be myself in a foreign setting. |
| * Food: |
Wow, a wonderful food experience. With the program's stipend (as a healthy supplement to my food budget rather than my entire food budget), I got to learn about and eat some of the best Italian cuisine in the city, and in surrounding regions. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The dormitory was a small opening into the 'real' Bologna community. I tended to stay within the confines of the program community, and ventured out to explore local cuisine more than anything else. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no first-hand experience with health issues in Bologna but things ranging from bed bugs to bad fevers to mental health issues were treated promptly and compassionately by the healthcare physicians that the program provided as well as by the administrators themselves. The program offered 24/7 communication, a family doctor of sorts, a therapist and any emotional and social support that may have been needed for any students that needed help with the transition. |
| * Safety: |
bologna is ultimately a safe city. I would never venture out on my own in the middle of the night, and experience one or two slightly off-putting interactions with people in the streets of Bologna (plus catcalling culture and racialized language is very common among students) but the program provided us with the necessary precautions for the fairly innocuous city. I know that I had a very mild experience with safety compared to several of my friends who went abroad this fall. |
| 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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
I did not live only on the student stipend, and used it as a large supplement (about 50-50) to my spending. I did not have to spend all that money, but I'm very glad I had extra money to spend. I expect it would have been very hard to stay within the budget. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200-250$ a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Yes, grocery stores / fresh food costs very little in Italy while clothing teds to be my more expensive than in the states. I say spend money on great Italian food and avoid spending money on very expensive Italian fashion. |
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 |
Every class, my dorm experience and my daily life encouraged me to speak the language, learn how to communicate and write, and gain confidence with my Italian. I learned a lot. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | ITAS 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? | Find an Italian friend, try to establish Italian as dominant language even among American friends. The problem our program group had is that we just couldn't snap out of English with each other. A few notable exceptions learned the language much more quickly and are now nearly fluent. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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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? | Language immersion isn't just hard and uncomfortable. It's also really really fun! |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
