ECCo Bologna was an amazing experience! January 29, 2023
By A student (Sociology, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/17/2023 to 12/21/2023 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
I never thought I could feel so comfortable living in a foreign country, but Italy was amazing and I had so much fun! My Italian is a lot better and I learned a lot from my classes and the trips we took with the program.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed the courses offered, especially the intensive Italian one, and I did not feel like there was too much work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone who worked for the program was great and went above and beyond to be welcoming and helpful! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was fun living in student apartments with Italian students, but the facilities were not great (ex. broken oven, electrical issues). |
| * Food: |
The 20 euro a day food budget was sufficient if you didn't have any dietary restrictions, and the cooking classes and program trips where food was provided were great. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The Italian immersion courses really improved my Italian, as did living with Italian students. I liked that in the first week we did a walking tour of the city so we knew our way around better. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The American doctor that everyone in the program goes to, made me uncomfortable (ex. off-color jokes about AIDS and depression, unprompted comments on your physical appearance during appointments). The quality of care was fine in my experience though. |
| * Safety: |
Bologna seemed as safe as any midsize American city but probably with less violent crime because there are less guns. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program had a good balance of structured activities (ex. trips to various cities, museums, a hike, the opera) and independence (ex. living in student housing with Italian students). The staff were super lovely and I always felt like they could help if I had a problem. Bologna is a great city because it is mostly college students and people are very friendly. We didn't have too much work so we were free to travel and experience the culture and nightlife. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $150 |
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 |
The program directors and professors used only Italian. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Practice the language any time you can, native speakers usually appreciate that you tried even if you don't make a lot of sense. |
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? | I didn't know anything about Bologna before I went but I love it now! It is walkable, has a huge student population, food/drinks/restaurants are cheap compared to the US, great nightlife especially queer/LGBTQ clubs and events, and it is easy to travel to other Italian cities by train. |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
