Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

How I Actually Managed to Learn a Second Language January 06, 2022

By (Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/18/2021 to 12/22/2021 with

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

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained so much more Italian knowledge than I ever expected to learn. I am really exceptionally bad at learning languages but being immersed in it really did help!

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?

* 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:

Safety advice for future students, especially women/queer students: definitely do not travel at night alone, as catcalling and sexual harassment was rampant but generally travelling in pairs or groups kept creepy guys away

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

The program was awesome and we had so many opportunities, even during the pandemic, to travel to different cities and learn a ton about the language, culture, history, et cetera.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to use the cash they give you as much as possible! You will only lose money if you don't use it and have to exchange the euros for dollars when you go home.

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? 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? Italian 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? I don't know if I'm allowed to say this but we made a lot of jokes that alcohol makes you speak better... it is very true. Finding a way to relax and speaking to strangers (there's a lot of places in Bologna where you can stand on the street and grab a drink surrounded by a lot of people) is going to help you so much and I definitely got the most practice going out with some friends and finding people to talk to at bars or in piazzas.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Local 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
  • The trips
  • The classes
* What could be improved?
  • It seemed too difficult to even look for a therapist abroad so I did not try but I definitely needed some more mental health support
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Immersion definitely helped me learn the language, but it did take the whole semester for me to see self-improvement. People talk and act like a couple weeks of living abroad means you'll pick up the language in no time flat, but it definitely took me a while.

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 Linguist
You 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!