I'm in love with Sorrento Past Review
By Kendra B (International Relations And Global Studies, Tufts University) - abroad from 06/30/2013 to 08/03/2013 with
Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy
Overall, it was an amazing experience. Sorrento was one of the most welcoming and interesting places I've ever been to, and I will definitely be back. The school was always helpful and the administration was super nice. I never felt as though I was scared to ask for help and they made sure to reach out to us. My class and internship were fulfilling and I definitely learned a lot.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Housing was great! We had AC and we were 5 minutes away from everything. Our apartment was in a great location. |
| * Food: |
I think it's safe to say that everyone on the trip loved the food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone in Sorrento spoke English, but if you asked to only speak in Italian, they would comply. Everyone was friendly and it was very easy to meet and spend time with the locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt incredibly safe in Sorrento, even at night. I never had any problems. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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) |
Europe is expensive and Sorrento is no exception, but if you're willing to seek out the cheaper places, you can definitely find paninos and pizza for 3-5 Euros. Cooking at home also saves you tons of money. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $150-200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook at home, buy lots of veggies to snack on, and look for the cheaper places in town like Michele's and the Salumeria down at the port. Try not to order various courses for dinner, one is definitely enough. |
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 22 |
| 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? | Speak with the locals in Italian! Order food in Italian and try not to fall back on your English. Even though everyone understands English, they like it when you speak Italian (and they might even give you special treatment if you do). |
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? |
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? | I wish I gave myself a budget for each week and that I had done my shopping earlier. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Contemporary Italian Literature |
| Course Department: | Italian |
| Instructor: | Domenico Palumbo |
| Instruction Language: | Italian |
| Comments: | Our professor made sure that we understood everything. We took our time and dissected the pieces to have a complete understanding of the material. Domenico also corrected our Italian (because we asked him to) and gave us helpful tips. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No. |
