Siena, Best Option For Complete Italian Immersion Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were very easy but the style of teaching was different. It was mainly lecture style and professors didn't allow much participation or discussion. I also felt that they classes were way too long (2 hours each). But the professors were very kind and knowledgeable and made use of their surroundings (walking tours, museum guides, etc)

On-site administration of your program

The IES staff was amazing. They really made sure we were comfortable in Siena, at our homestay, and with the academics. They would always check in with us individually and as a group and were knowledgeable of everything in Italy. They pushed us to go outside of our comfort zones and immerse ourselves into the culture.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

My homestay was the nicest woman in the world. She provided me with dinners and every night and accommodated my schedule when I needed to go out one night or do at-home interviews for summer internships. Every morning we had coffee together because it was really important to her for us to start our day relaxed and happy. She and I had such a great relationship to the point where she even took me to her country home for the weekend.A

Being that I was with a homestay, I was able to experience authentic Italian cooking. Some dinners were quite experimental but overall they were amazing. I've never experience a full course meal every single night – it was great.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

IES did a great job at introducing us to other Italian students. They showed us different programs that we could join in order to meet Italian students. Siena was such a small town that if you went out at night, you were bound to meet new people. Everyone was so friendly and open to meeting us which made the experience 10x better. Picking up on the language was definitely frustrating at first but my Italian professors provided me with tools on how to get more comfortable speaking it.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

This is kind of funny but the 3rd week I was there, I got the strangest rash on my legs. I notified IES and right away they took me to the local doctor. It was free of charge and I only had to pay for my medication. I had one friend who got very sick and one of the IES staff members took her to the hospital and stayed with her the entire night. Even though my friend was pretty chill about the entire situation, the staff member thought it was important for her to be there to translate and give her comfort.

Siena was such a safe town, I never once felt unsafe. Due to the fact that the Palio is so important, every member of the contrade sort of had reputation to uphold so they were very respectful and kind to us. I went out many nights with friends and very completely safe walking home alone at night. I definitely wouldn't recommend this in the bigger cities but Siena itself was so different.

Siena was probably the best town I could have picked in Italy. I had a lot of friends from home who studied in Florence and Rome but their experience just didn't seem fulfilling. In Siena, I was forced to learn the language and get to know the pure Italian customs. My professors were so kind and never made their academics so hard to the point where we couldn't enjoy ourselves. The staff at IES were probably the nicest people I've ever met. They truly wanted us to have the time of our lives and gave us so many chances to learn more about the town and just have fun.

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

I did a lot of budgeting before my trip and then made sure to stick with it for the entire duration. I saved about $3,500 for the 4 months and it lasted me a good time. Towards the end I was running short so there was some opportunities I had to pass on but overrall I had a good experience. I did a homestay so my breakfasts and dinners were paid for, I just had to fund my own lunch. I tried to buy groceries and eat at home a lot, really only spending $40 a week. I used most of my money on weekends away (airbnb, dinners, museum fees, etc) and just tried to be smart about how much to spend. I do wish I saved more money so I could have done bigger trips to other countries but at the end of the day, I'm still a student. I think saving around $4,000 is the best option for a 4 month stay.

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

We had about 2 Italian classes per week and a Friday session (twice a month). Our classes were pretty small so the professor really helped us with our language skills and worked within our comfort lessons. The Italian teachers also helped us understand the culture more and how to function in Siena (showing us the train station, grocery stores, etc). After four months, I definitely wasn't fluent but I felt a lot more comfortable getting around and speaking the language. It's really all about comfort.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• My homestay
• How small the program was
• Siena's location

• Style of lectures
• Help me more with my language

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