Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Adventure under the Toscana Sun Past Review

By (Northwest Arkansas Community College) - abroad from 06/01/2017 to 06/30/2017 with

NWACC: Study Abroad in Siena

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I gained more knowledge about the kind of person I am and I learned how important it is to appreciate other people's way of life and not think that yours is better.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Italian course was amazing. It was only taught in Italian and our professor was humorous and made every effort to help us get accustomed to the new language. The photography course was great too! It was everything I expected and more

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Italian faculty were helpful in all ways and the course was really fun and informative

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The hotel was really nice. Some students had a lot of problems but I had my own room so I was comfortable and it was in a very convenient location

* Food:

We had to make our own food arrangements but every thing was great and we managed to find very affordable places to eat

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I made many local friends and they spoke English and even helped with our Italian homework. I after the first few weeks I hardly felt like a tourist or even a foreigner

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not get ill once which I was very grateful for

* Safety:

I felt completely Safe all the time. Im glad we always had to have a travel buddy. But Siena was great. There are always people around at all hours of the night too so it feels even more safer knowing there are others around

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

I'd love to go back and learn more Italian, meet my friends again and be apart of the Siena culture.

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)

It was very hard to budget since we had to always get our own meals and pay for optional tours that was not planned by NWACC. I may be that I spend more than I should but I feel like a student budget for one month was very hard to keep

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 150
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Try to only take money that you need for that day with maybe a little extra for emergencies. Sometimes you take more than you should and the excitement of trying everything will burn holes in your wallet.

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

Well since we were in a country of the language that we were learning its obvious that we should be using the language. the program did not need to encourage us, logic did.

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? Beginner
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? conversational sentences
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? Make local friends. Always speak Italian when you can. Ask for help with pronunciation.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Hotel
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • N/A
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
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?
  • The courses
  • Over night trips
* What could be improved?
  • Manners of American students that go abroad
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? how important it is to practice a language everyday in order to be more fluent

Reasons For Studying Abroad

To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you.
The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer
Craving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.'

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Digital Photography
Course Department: Art
Instructor: Victor Chalfant
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was a challenge but it was exciting. We went to various locations to shoot and our professor shared all his knowledge with us. He offered help outside the classroom and made every effort as long as we put effort too. We did various photo assignments and we sent digital copies to the professor and discussed them during class time.
Credit Transfer Issues: