Time flew by too quickly! Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/05/2017 to 12/21/2017 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
#1 was language development but also confidence that comes from living further from home and navigating life in a new culture and new language.
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. |
The intensity of the program is overall what you make of it depending on the classes you choose |
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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? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Again, it is what you make of it. This program plans wonderful day and weekend trips and provides many opportunities for you to meet Italians. For me, I volunteered in an elementary school and was a member of Collegium Musicum which is the university's orchestra and choir. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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 is amazing! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I took a day trip to another Italian city almost every week and probably spent on average 50-60 euro. The food stipend for this program was extremely generous where I usually was able to cover part or all of the costs with the stipend |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook as much as you can- restaurants really add up. I loved eating lunch and dinner with my roommates and they were always happy to share their favorite Italian recipes with me |
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? | 274 |
| 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? | Before coming to Italy, watch TV shows (Netflix has a few dubbed in Italian) or even kids shows like Peppa Pig on youtube. RAI news has channels live streamed on the internet. Once arriving in Bologna, speak to your roommates whenever you can even if it is a little intimidating- mine were so helpful. When I had free time, I loved going to Sala Borsa (the city library) and reading children's books. |
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? | Honestly, nothing- the semester was not exactly how I had imagined it to be but everything was a pleasant surprise. I do know that for some students, they had family visiting during the weekend that we went on the ECCO trip to Venezia which we did not hear about until September so maybe in terms of logistics for future semesters, let students know earlier when the trip will be so they do not have family or friends visit during that time. |
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! |
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