Awesome the best experiece of my life! Past Review

By (Marketing., Providence College) - abroad from 01/09/2012 to 05/10/2012 with

IES Abroad: Milan - Study Abroad With IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained an excellent perspective about life outside the US and yes it was definitely worthwhile.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Intense and very difficult but rewarding and interesting.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Excellent

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Good

* Food:

Awesome!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Everyone was very friendly and made me feel welcome

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I had no health issues

* Safety:

I felt safe most places, but was always on guard, especially for pick pockets.

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

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)

Everything was very expensive and always took a beating on the euro exchange for the dollar

* Was housing included in your program cost? Yes
* Was food included in your program cost? No
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 100-200 euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan any travel trips very carefully, there are deals out there if you look hard enough to find them

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? None
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? Intermdiate
How many hours per day did you use the language?
Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? Try to study the language before starting program/

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

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
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?
  • Learning new cultures
  • Traveling to other Europeaon conutries
* What could be improved?
  • Could have been better system to greet people
  • upon arrival.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? How important it is to learn some basic language skills