Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Good but not what i expected May 13, 2023

By (Italian Studies, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/10/2023 to 05/19/2023 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 learned how to be content with being alone and become more confident in my ability to live and travel alone

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were not particularly rigorous, especially the grammar classes. I did not need to study in order to pass exams and found the material monotonous.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Overall the administration did what they needed to do and were helpful. However, the main problem with this program, the lack of italian being spoken by students, was never properly addressed by the administrators.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My roommates were nice, but did not make a strong effort to include me in conversations or daily life. Often the apartment was incredibly dirty and I felt as though it fell to me to do the majority of the cleaning.

* Food:

The food stipend is adequet for grocery shopping and food in restaurants is very tasty.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

It was difficult to make friends in Bologna and because I only had one UniBo course, it was hard to meet Italian students.

* 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? No

I would choose Middlebury, a program with a better reputation for language immersion programs

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)

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

While there is a language pledge, no student followed it. The administrations solution was to create a student-nominated competion, which of course resulted in a student who was popular but did not always speak italian winning. There were no consequences for violating the Language Pledge, and the lack of Italian being spoken resulted in me being isolated from the group if I tried to speak 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? 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? 10+
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Speak constantly, try to befriend native speakers

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
  • Americans
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 food stipend
* What could be improved?
  • actual language immersion
  • more individually curated grammar classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That the other students were not there to learn Italian and that I would spend the next four months more lonely than not

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!