Sicily: Slower but a Good Change of Pace Past Review

By (HISTORY., Wellesley College) for

Study Abroad Programs in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned how to rely on myself alone. I became more understanding of the mixture of cultures abroad but even more so the mixture of cultures at home. I might chose a larger city or a program with home stay but the program a chose was an experience I won't regret.

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 workload is lighter than my American university but the teachers were engaging and very intereseting, the classes were modeled after the US system.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Italian naturally have a problem getting things done, look at the eurozone for an example, that would probably be the biggest detriment to this program.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Learn how to cook.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We went to an amazing Siracusa Football game and were even in the local paper for supporting the team

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Siracusa was not the safest city but the island of Ortigia, were all the students lived and the school was located was very safe. The pharmacist were all trained to point out the correct medicine for the symptoms which the students were suffering from

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? 50 Euros
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buying food is a lot more expensive than many people think, Siracusa had an open air market that was much more affordable and healthy than the store.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
Language acquisition improvement?

I needed to use the host language in everyday interactions with the locals and the language courses were very good but as the school was only american students opportunities to practice with others my age were limited and hindered my ability to learn.

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The food
  • The slow paced culture
  • The beauty
* What could be improved?
  • Italian organization, ha!
  • More chance to meet young people

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Sicilian Archaeology w/ Digital Archaeology

Course Department: CSAR 361
Instructor: D. Tanasi
Instruction Language: English
Comments: It was a challenging course, there were many field trips and hands-on activities and lectures to attend. Professor Tanasi was very well educated and prepared for class and always seem to know a little bit more. He was also very engaging with the students and made it easy to participate in class even when other students were not interested
Credit Transfer Issues: This course was originally a 200-level course but I took an extra modular that meet twice a week totaling 15hours of class time, Digital Archaeology. This made the course a 300-level in MCAS but I have not received any additional credit in my host university.