An incredible immersion into Italian culture and language! February 28, 2023
By A student (Peace and Justice Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 08/16/2022 to 12/21/2022 with
Eastern College Consortium (ECCO): Bologna - Università di Bologna Study Abroad Program
I learned a lot about both where I was living and myself. I learned how to be more independent and adventurous. It was such an incredible, worthwhile experience that really forced me to grow a lot.
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. |
It was a full-immersion language program which I think made the courses a lot more challenging. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The director and staff of this program were incredible! They were so reachable and very involved in the program so I was able to have pretty personal relationships with everyone. I felt incredibly supported and if I had any issue or concern at all, I felt very comfortable talking with the directors. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
We lived in the Italian student housing so everyone was assigned random roomates and flatmates. The facilites were really nice, we had a full kitchen, a common space and two bathrooms in a flat of 5 people. I also felt really safe, the dorms are all gated and only accessible with a code. |
| * Food: |
Food was incredible, of course! This program had a daily stipend for food, so we were able to either buy groceries and cook in the dorm or buy street food and go to restaurants. The street food was amazing and super affordable, in general, most of the food even at restaurants was pretty affordable. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since it was a language immersion program, a big component of our classes were centered around culture and language. There were a lot of opportunities to engage more with the culture too, there was a three-week cooking class and a dozen or so cultural field trips. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The pharmacies were really accessible for basic health items and the program worked with an American doctor in the city for any bigger issues. I never had to utilize the doctor, but again, the program directors were incredibly supportive and helpful with any medical issues. |
| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe in Bologna. The city has pretty low crime rates and really only a couple areas that were a little sketchier at night. |
| 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) |
I have a ton of food allergies and dietary restrictions that made finding cheap food really inaccessible given the stipend. I think I was in a pretty unique situation though, the amount seemed to be enough for most other people in the program. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 120-150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Track your expenses a little bit. It was easy in the beginning to not think a lot about what I was spending my money on, but if you want to take trips or explore a lot, I recommend really being aware of what your spending where. |
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 |
It was a full immersion language program. All of my classes were in Italian and I only communicated with my professors and the program directors/staff in 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? | ITAS 203 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
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? | Honestly, the biggest thing was it got really cold at the end of the semester and I wasn't really prepared with clothing. I would have researched into the weather a little more. |
