Do it! May 02, 2023
By Gabriella S (Liberal Arts, General Studies, Winona State University) - abroad from 01/16/2023 to 05/06/2023 with
Sant'Anna Institute: Sorrento - Live, Learn and Immerse in Italy
I grew a lot while being abroad. I gained a lot more independence. I will never regret this decision
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. |
I feel like I did not learn much. I learned a lot in Italian 101 with the instructor. The other classes the professors did not seem to care nor answer any of their emails which is very frustrating when trying to succeed in my courses I am paying for. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Sant’Anna school should provide more activities for students. We pay a lot of money to come here. Providing a game room, movie/tv room and fun games for students to play on rainy days. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The dorms were okay. The cleaning done weekly we’re great, but many times not done very well. Sweeping and mopping could have been done better. |
| * Food: |
When students arrived, we were all very tired and hungry. If the school could have provided pizza or pasta on the day of arrival many more students would have been happy. We pay a lot of money to attend, so we all know money is the not the issue for this school. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
It seemed the doctor at the school did not know what he was talking about. I ended up finding solutions to my own problems as the doctor would tell me I was not sick and or tell me i was wrong. |
| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe walking around alone as a female. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
We spent a lot of money to come here but we still had to pay for things on required field trips and to participate in ANY activity the school did. The school has plenty of money, use it on the students. |
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) |
School provides NOTHING for the amount of money we spent. |
| 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? | Save more than you think you will need. Every little thing adds up |
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 did not learn basic communication skills, although i still did learn a lot. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| 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? | Nothing |
| 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? | X |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | X |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Marine Biology |
| Course Department: | Biology |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | For a level 100 class, there was way to high of expectations for us. He never emailed me back and i emailed him MANY times. He expected us to memorize all material for the test within days before the test. Communication was terrible with this class and very frustrating. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italian 101 |
| Course Department: | Italian |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The instructor was Awesome! She was very helpful and knowledgeable in her teaching. She never made anyone feel bad for not knowing and was always willing to help students when they needed it. Her communication via email was GREAT! She responded within hours. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Drawing on Location |
| Course Department: | Art |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | She expected too much from us for a level 100 art class. I was not very talented in my art skills and I thought I was going to be taught in how to improve, so we’re many others. She gave me rude comments about my art work because it was “her style”. Everyone does their art work differently and she could not grasp the idea that everyone has different styles and skills. I thought this class was going to be fun but it was stressful. She assigned a ton of homework 1-2 days before it was due. She was very last minute with everything and never told us what was going on. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Food and Culture |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class was fine. Work load was limited and very stress free. He is an interesting man and keeps the class fun most times. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
