Italy: Boot Country Kicks Goal with my Abroad experience! Past Review
By Carmen M (Psychology, Indiana University - Bloomington) for
Umbra Institute: Perugia - Direct Enrollment in Semester, Summer or Academic Year Programs
Again, I wish I could give a 10 star rating. Italy changed my life in every possible way. I met great friends that I still keep in close contact with. I learned so much about myself that I didn't even anticipate tapping into. I learned from my classes, I learned from the Italian people, I learned from my new friends, and I learned from my environment. I had THE best time that I could possibly imagine studying abroad in Perugia.
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. |
The grading system was a little harder than in my home school. I'm used to getting A's at my school, but I received a B from my host university. The workload was about the same though. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Steven Rose and Rashelle Bennett helped me immensely. Also, James Basore was a huge contributor in helping me get the credit transferred. Everyone from IU really knew what they were doing. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
It was a little bit far from class. But I ended up liking that better because it was a bit more private. |
| * Food: |
Going out to eat was amazing. Preparing food for myself from grocery stores was difficult because it was hard to know what ingredients to buy. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I wish there were more stars for this section. I traveled to over 16 cities in Italy. I won't list them all but the field trip to Rome was incredible. I ended up staying several days longer than the class did. I had the absolute BEST time of my life traveling independently around Italy either by myself or with friends. If I were to give advice to others it would be not to fear traveling alone, even if you are a girl. Be smart, be safe, but don't not travel out of fear. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I had a bad experience getting a certain medication that I needed in Italy. I had to see a doctor, and went to 4 pharmacies before getting a generic version of it. It was a very difficult experience but I understand there wasn't much that could be done about it. |
| 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) |
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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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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? | An independent student who enjoys flying by the seat of their pants. Planning and researching can only take you so far before you have to just dive in. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
The Roman Empire |
| Course Department: | HST 300 |
| Instructor: | Giampero Bevagna |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was very challenging but extremely interesting. He made good use of field trips (Rome) and was well paced during the long class period. My teacher was extremely knowledgeable yet a little unorganized with class materials. I probably participated in class more than at my home institution due the smaller class size. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Yes, I did. I would suggest figuring out EVERYTHING before you leave. It makes things so much easier when you return to get the credit transferred properly. |
