A Must Do Once In a Lifetime Opportunity! Past Review
By Caroline S (Marketing, University of Akron) - abroad from 01/23/2017 to 05/13/2017 with
Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy
Being a student abroad is, without a doubt, a must do, once in a lifetime opportunity. You learn more than just academics from the classes you are taking. You learn who you are in situations that you wouldn’t experience at home, you learn how to problem solve, you learn how to travel on your own, and you learn how to interact with people on an entirely new level.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Sant'Anna is dedicated to providing not only a classroom experience, but experience of the Italian culture as a whole to its students. |
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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? |
I live in an apartment in Sorrento, which is about a 10 minute walk from Sant'Anna and it's amazing. I'm forced to live in a new country and immerse myself into their culture. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
When living in an off campus apartment, I felt like I really did get immersed into the local culture. With little things like grocery shopping, or even grabbing some gelato at night, the locals start to recognize you and treat you as one of their own. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Where I'm staying in Sorrento feels as safe as if I were back at home. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Sant'Anna provides such a personal experience. You become so close with your classmates and the faculty, and are given the opportunity to immerse yourself in the local community. |
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) |
I was able to live pretty easily on a student budget. I traveled a lot on the weekends, and gave myself a $100 budget for transportation, food, and excursions. I was able to stay within this budget almost every trip I took. Staying on a student budget is doable, you just have to plan trips far in advance, and look for deals, don't just book a flight because it's the first one you see. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I probably spent around $100-$150 each week to provide food and the expenses that came with traveling each weekend. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Use ryanair.com and easyjet.com when booking flights for weekend trips or spring/fall break trips. Stay in hostels or split the cost of airbnbs if you're traveling with friends, airbnbs are super nice and can be found pretty cheap. Know what you're willing to splurge on, and what you are willing to skimp on. I am more willing to splurge on travels and excursions, and am willing to skimp on food (I eat, I just don't eat fancy four course meals!). Have an idea of how you're going to budget your money before you start spending, and keep track of it in you notes on your phone. |
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 |
We were encouraged to speak the language during class at all times (unless we were unsure of what we were discussing or had a question we didn't know how to ask). |
| 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? | I had never taken Italian before I left. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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? | I wish I would've studied Italian for a semester before I came so that I could interact with the locals more than I was able to. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
