An Unforgettable Adventure Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My experience at the IES Milan - Music: Voice, Composition, and Instrumental program was life-changing, filled with amazing opportunities to learn about Italian music, language, culture, and social issues. I studied opera there and received the finest instruction from music professors like Patrizia Zanardi, Anna Fre, and Stefano Pintor. I was able to apply what I had learned in recitals and one-act operas that my fellow students and I presented at IES. Not only that, but I was also able to learn about opera by attending five La Scala opera productions, four of which were paid for by IES. My Staging Italian Opera class also got to observe a rehearsal at La Scala for Mozart's Idomeneo and tour the opera house's workshops. These opportunities shaped my abroad experience, and I am very grateful to IES for having provided them. Not only was my music education wonderful, but my other classes were stellar also, especially my Service Learning course.

On-site administration of your program

I found all of the staff at IES Milan to be extremely helpful. Whenever I had a question about anything, whether it involved an upcoming IES-sponsored trip or a personal health concern, they always answered my questions and showed that they cared about me. I felt that I was in very good hands for the entire semester.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived in a homestay with a very kind and loving Milanese family, and I wouldn't trade that experience for anything, as it was so fun to have younger Italian siblings and to truly immerse myself in the Italian language. My homestay became my home away from home, and in difficult moments I was so grateful to have Italian parents to give me homemade gelato. And the food was incomparable, of course! Nothing in this world is better than a home-cooked Italian meal.

If you like Italian food and if you choose to live in a homestay, you will be in heaven!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved living in Milan, and IES provided students with many opportunities to engage with the local culture. It definitely helped that I came in at an advanced level of Italian, although often the locals would speak English to me because I don't look Italian at all. That was frustrating sometimes, but I understood why they did it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I injured my foot while I was abroad, and the IES Staff were so helpful in getting me the care I needed. They scheduled all of my appointments for me and helped me fill out the reimbursement forms for the insurance. The healthcare seemed overall pretty similar to what I am used to in the United States.

I felt very safe in Milan. I could make the 10-minute walk from my metro stop to my homestay after 1 AM without any danger. I never experienced any safety issues.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Milan can be pretty expensive, especially if you are shopping for clothing, so be prepared! Food is very reasonably priced, though.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

I was in the Advanced Italian course, and it was very helpful to me in expanding my vocabulary and grammar. We did have a pledge to only speak in Italian for each class period, but students would often break it and speak English, which was frustrating to me. The professor never reprimanded them.

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• Host Family

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• N/A

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• Americans
• International Students

• My voice professor, Patrizia Zanardi
• The food
• The opportunities to get involved in the community

• Commuting distance
• Longer lunch breaks
• Stricter adherence to the Italian-only language pledge in the upper level courses

The Academic or Linguist