Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Delicious Semester in Bologna! Past Review

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/06/2019 to 12/21/2019 with

Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Independence! I thought I was pretty independent going into the experience, but coming out of it I feel 10x as independent. I traveled all over Italy and Europe and made friends and took classes in a different language. It was by far my best choice in life so far to go abroad!!

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The living arrangements in ghigi, ghigi 2 and forni were all very different and each had pros and cons. The real issue, however, was the fact that ghigi was under construction during our entire stay in Bologna. In addition to noise and general obstacles on the pathway etc, we had a few days without hot water or any water at all in our apartments. That being said, the new apartments look amazing so future students will definitely have a much better experience than we did.

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

Despite the lack of early communication about anything (schedules, our semester calendar, required events) which made planning trips difficult, and the run down accommodations in ghigi, I made amazing friends and had such a fun time while improving my Italian and getting to know other Italian students in the dorm and in classes.

Finances

* 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)

(Other than Lecce, during when we were given only 195 euros for the entire 4 week stay for food, so we all ran out of money early.)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? I don't have an approximation as it depended on whether I was in Bologna or traveling for the weekend, but in the end I spent a bit over $5000 on food, trips, gifts and other random expenses (I ended up having to buy a new phone in Italy which cost about $1000).
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Definitely budget ahead of time, think about how many weekend trips you want to do (if any) and allot about $3-400 per trip (they can be much cheaper if you can plan in advance but most of the time we could only plan a month or so in advance). Additionally, take advantage of day trips as a way to see more of your host country, especially if you are anywhere like mainland Europe where you can get pretty much anywhere by train!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? 200 level
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? Speak in the language when you're chatting with friends! I wish I had done this more as we all pretty much spoke in English outside of classes/interacting with Italians.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • The people (in the program and also the Italians we met in the dorm/classes)
  • The city (Bologna is an ideal Italian city that I never would have thought about visiting without this program)
  • Ability to travel all over Italy via train, and the 15-20 minute drive to the airport for other trips!
* What could be improved?
  • Housing accomodations
  • Planning-we didn't receive the calendar for our semester until late August, a week or two before arriving in Bologna.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Bologna is seriously the perfect study abroad city. It felt like the only people in the city were other college students, both Italian and international, and it did not feel touristy or overcrowded like Venice, Rome and Florence. The nightlife is so much fun and it is just the most stunning city set in the mountains of Emilia-Romagna. I miss it tons already!

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.