Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Vai! Past Review

By (University of Massachusetts Dartmouth) - abroad from 01/13/2019 to 05/04/2019 with

Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
i learned i have travel anxiety!

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 course load was manageable but i often felt the teachers and staff were disorganized, especially during midterms and finals (the two sections of the year that were the most difficult)

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

very nice dorms, they felt like a hotel room. the only issue was the wifi. it did not work well, especially at night. this got in the way of school work

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

my roommate sprained her ankle while here. she went to the doctor and explained to her what happened. she had to miss class bc the doctor was only here once a week in the afternoon. according to my roommate, the doctor didn’t even look at her ankle, and simply told her to take ibuprophen. she’s still in pain to this day

* Safety:

very safe, i’ve never been pick-pocketed! the only time i felt unsafe was at night at the bars. be wary of the creepy men

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

i love sorrento it was the perfect location for me. the school was pretty good and living conditions were great.

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)

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

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? Intermediate
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? italian 201
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 friends with locals!

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

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Dorm
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* 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?
  • location
* What could be improved?
  • wifi
  • office organization
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? don’t pay more than €6 for pizza

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 Adventurer
The 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.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Marine Biology
Course Department:
Instructor: Domenico Sgambati
Instruction Language: English
Comments: the course included one intereteing snorkeling field trip, as well as a few interesting/hands on labs in the class room, but the overall expectation of the students performance ability was not realistic, especially for the final. we were treated like real marine biologists, which was ok, but we were expected to know a lot of the principles of overall biology. i’m not a scientist, but i still worked really hard. i fear my grade will not reflect that. this fear lives with me everyday, and despite my emails asking to know my grade to ease my anxieties, domenico has yet to respond. he is a nice guy, but he had too high of expectations.
Credit Transfer Issues: