Italy: A beautiful and scenic glance into an amazing history of art, culture and FOOD! Past Review
By Erin D (PSYCHOLOGY., Western Washington University) for
GEO: Siena - Study Abroad Programs in Siena
I gained so much knowledge of the history and culture of Italy. I faced a fear of traveling on my own and was so proud that I took the step to travel and explore a different country and its roots. Its a once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad...so do it! I met people and learned so much. I absolutely loved it.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I had an absolute blast! The workload was very light considering the professor was understanding of the fact that we were in a foreign country and wanted to explore and have fun. I learned a lot about the culture and some of the language (although Siena is full of tourists so I used English a lot more than I expected), and a ton about the art. It was amazing to have the opportunity to not only read and learn about the art there, but also to experience it! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The people working at the school were amazingly helpful and nice and approachable! they gave us resources we needed to explore within the city as well as venture out of it. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved the location of the dorm and the dorm itself was very nice. However, I wish we could have had more contact with international students in order to practice the Italian language. |
| * Food: |
The food was AMAZING... as expected :) |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
It was very touristy in Siena, but the program included wonderful trips outside of Siena that helped us gain insight on the culture, the history and the areas within Italy. They took us to places I would have never thought to go while visiting, which made it that much more of an awesome experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
i felt extremely safe in Siena. It is very social, there are always people walking around and I never encountered a scary situation within the city. people were friendly and for the most part, patient with you as a tourist. No vaccines were needed, other than the ones required for school I believe. Healthcare is included in the tuition cost for while you are there adn there are doctors you can contact while in Italy. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I practiced language with one person who was living in our dorm building. Next time, I would venture out more and challenge myself more by trying to speak with locals more often. It was difficult to fully embrace the language and culture when living with your fellow American classmates. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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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 left early and landed in Florence for a few day son my own which was very intimidating, but probably the best thing I could have done. I was acquainted with the country and put myself out of my comfort zone which was tough but so rewarding. Other than this though I would say go in with an open mind and just make the most of your time there. travel to near cities, it is so easy to catch a bus or train to go anywhere, so do it! The tuition seems like a lot, and it is; however I was amazed at all that it included that I was completely unaware of. We went to numerous museums, churches, tours etc. and all the admission tickets were included as well as transportation. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Also, I explored other options while I was there like doing cooking classes and wine tours which I highly recommend! |
