Perfect City and Perfect Country! Past Review

By (University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign) - abroad from 09/04/2015 to 12/12/2015 with

Gustolab International: Rome - Institute for Food Studies Semester and Programs

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Learned more about Sustainability, and Italian food culture.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

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:

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

I would definitely choose the same program again. It was a perfect combination of time spent inside the classroom and time spent outside of it. As a psychology major I was exposed to a completely different field that I came to appreciate. My favorite part of the whole semester abroad was spending two whole weeks learning about the production of Olive Oil and Wine, where as a result we got to stay in a beautiful organic farm for a whole week, visited vineyards in Tuscany and Umbria, and olive tree orchards in Campania. Overall, the Food and Culture program at GustoLab was definitely a great immersion to the Italian food culture.

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

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 level 3
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Location
  • Staff
  • Excursions
* What could be improved?
  • More contact with local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Schedule between classes, time off, excursions, etc.