Bologna, Italy: Wonderful and Unique Experience! Past Review
By A student (Wellesley College) - abroad from 09/03/2018 to 12/21/2018 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
I became basically fluent in Italian because I would use it everyday with my roommates, business owners, my teachers, and my fellow American students. I also got to eat delicious food, meet some very wonderful people, learn to cook traditional Italian dishes with ECCO's cooking class opportunities, and travel to very beautiful local towns and cities (Rome and Florence of course, but there is a lot more to explore in the local region!). Ecco also pays for and takes students on lovely educational/cultural trips (Padua, Florence, Ravenna, Modena). I also highly recommend the optional summer component in Lecce, Puglia. Beautiful setting, cultural experience, and my Italian grew even more there!
Review Photos
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Sometimes a bit disorganized administrating information to everyone at the same time (verbal versus email communication for example) but if you ask about any tasks that need to be fulfilled, just listen carefully when administrators announce news in the ECCO program classrooms, and just stay active to make sure nothing is missed you should be more than fine. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Sometimes that shower would not drain well, but it was fixed and worked well afterwards! Dorm is near the train station, grocery stores, and nice cafes and restaurants. 22 min walk from classes but there is a bus stop near by that takes you to a 10 min walk from classes. |
| * Food: |
Would cook for myself, but would have appreciated if ECCO had payed for all and not some meals during mandatory educational trips (not that food was expensive but I think they should have paid that consistently). |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My Italian roommates were very welcoming and I went out with them for example. I also had Italian friends from a summer internship before so that helped my experience a lot. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
N/A, but there is an American doctor on staff to help with anything as well as two psychologists. |
| * Safety: |
Bologna is quite a safe city, and our program gave us good advice to be more careful around the train station at night and to preferably not go there alone or very late. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The staff and teachers really want to see you succeed and support you in kind. There is much opportunity for cultural and language immersion here. Also because Bologna is not as big or touristy as Rome or Florence, you have more of an authentic experience! |
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) |
Maybe need to plan for a bit more money if you like going out, traveling shopping, going to slightly nicer restaurants, etc. But you can eat well for little and enjoy Bologna and other nearby towns/cities for very little in my opinion. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100-$130 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Everything is beautiful and delicious! I recommend not impulse buying especially in the historic center where some things might be overpriced! |
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 |
All classes were in Italian and our program directors always tried to speak to us in Italian (resorted to English if necessary). |
| 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? | Intensive Italian 103 and 203 |
| 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 Italians! They are very welcoming and patient for the most part! Especially the other students in the dormitories! |
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? | That your Italian will only grow as much as you work to use it. Some students often just spoke in English if they could but there Italian did not develop as much. There experience is wonderful overall, but it can be even more so depending on how much you engage! |
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.' |
