I'll be back. Past Review

By (Kinesiology and Exercise Science., University of Puget Sound) - abroad from 01/14/2013 to 05/18/2013 with

IES Abroad: Milan - Study Abroad With IES Abroad

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Anything and everything. Studying abroad was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I took it. I absolutely loved my time in Milan and will definitely travel back there!

Review Photos

IES Abroad: Milan - IES Abroad in Milan Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Academics were manageable, the intensity was slow-paced, and resources were ok. But overall, I loved the classes I enrolled in!

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Faculty and staff were great! Extremely friendly and welcoming!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved living in Collegio di Milano. It was one of the best experiences I had while in Italy.

* Food:

What can I say? Italian food was extremely delicious!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Because I made friends with some of the Italian students living in my dormitory, I learned and explored Milanese culture with them.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Fine, I really did not have any problems while in Milan.

* Safety:

Pretty safe. Nothing really happened to me that threatened my safety.

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)

Milan is a pretty expensive city and with traveling expenses it was pretty costly. Just be prepared to spend a lot!

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? Too much.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Book flights and trains in advance!

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

Our Italian class was taught solely in Italian. So we pretty much had to use Italian quite often.

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? none.
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? Just talk to people!

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Local Students
  • Americans
  • International Students
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • 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?
  • People
  • Culture
  • Travel
* What could be improved?
  • More classes
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? Nothing, I pretty much went into the program with an open mind.