Good country, mediocre program May 28, 2023
By A student (Psychology, Brandeis University) - abroad from 01/15/2023 to 05/12/2023 with
IES Abroad: Milan - Study Abroad With IES Abroad
I gained the opportunity to travel Italy and learn more about the country. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved being in Italy but did not think the program did a good job in cultural integration. It was really a program designed for Americans with as little cultural integration as possible. I chose the program because it was the only one in Italy that Brandeis approved of. I came into with three semesters of Italian up my sleeve. I thought I would have opportunities to practice my Italian but really did not. My days were extremely packed with classes, an internship, school work and weekend travel. All my classes were with Americans. I barely had time to breath, let alone become culturally immersed. I reached out to the program on multiple occasions asking if they had any advice as to how I could meet locals. They were not helpful. I often practiced my Italian with locals on the bus but it was not enough to become fluent in the language. Again, I loved being abroad, but thought the program could have done a better job. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration were excellent and always willing to meet with students. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
N/A |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Milan felt relatively safe. Safer than Baltimore but less safe than Jerusalem. There was an issue with dozens of students on my program getting pickpocketed and on two occasions there was a reported assault by members of my program at a club. Overall though, I generally felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
The program was geared for Americans who did not want to go out of their comfort zone. It was extremely difficult to meet locals and practice Italian due to the super packed days, which were only with Americans. |
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) |
Not counting travel and entertainment, I spend about $180 a week on living expenses. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $360 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I highly recommend using an app to keep track of finances. I use one called Spendee. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Italian 30 |
| 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? | This is not a programmed geared towards language immersion |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
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? | Its really hard to practice Judaism in Italy. |
