life changing Past Review

By Kimberly M (Printmaking, University of Hartford) - abroad from 08/27/2012 to 11/19/2012 with

University of Georgia: Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

i learned how other people, in a completely different culture live, and i was a part for that way of living for a few months of my life. and i've brought back a little of that italian way of living with me home to the states. it really put how i want to live my life into perspective.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	the program was great because the professors really taylored their teaching to suit the needs and levels of each of their students individually. we were expected to do a lot of work and teachers kept up on us if we were falling behind. most of the studios had what we needed, as far as materials, which was good since we as students didnt have ready accessable places where we could purchase our own materials
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	very knowledgeable about the surrounding area of the abroad university, they were able to answer any questions students had as far as where to find materials or extra travel needs outside of the field trips that the program included. they have all been a part of the program for many years and knew what they were doing.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	very nice living arrangements, on campus, clean and having all the necessities a dorm should have. included a common area with computers and wifi and a kitchen area.
* Food:	breakfast served at the dorm monday thru sunday. a little repeatative in breakfast choices. lunch on our own and dinner provided by a restaurant down in town each weeknight. good food. no one went hungry.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	the school itself is a bit of walk from the heart of the town and there were days when i never left the school or went down to town. it was sort of up to us as students to get out of the walls of the school and walk down to town and interact with the locals.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	personally i didnt have a need for any healthcare while i was abroad but my roommate got ill and was taken to the doctors by our art history professor (who was italian and spoke the language) and she was able to get the medication she needed. but it was necessary for someone to go with her who could communicate with the doctor, because she didnt speak italian.
* Safety:	Cortona is a very small town and even walking around at night, i never felt threatened in any way. its a very safe area. not to say one dose not need to be smart, because safety comes with being smart as well
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

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 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)	its all about budgeting. i was able to get by on probably under a 100$ a week for food/ expenses, of course i didnt do much extra shopping.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	50 euro, so about 70$ a week on necessities
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	exchange rates are high. i recommend taking out the maximum that you can from the ATM and budgeting that to last you several weeks. if you have access to a kitchen, buying your own groceries is a good way to cut down on meal costs, instead of eating out every night

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	we were encouraged to use English as little as possible when out of the university walls
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?	5 year of spanish
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?	audio cds, get them from your public library, save your money, dont waste it on rosetta stone. i listened to mine in the car on the way to and from work. it really did help

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?	0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	field trips meeting the locals being in a small town
* What could be improved?	material rediness in studios speaking more italian longer program
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	i wish i had known that when traveling to all these places, and visiting a lot of churches, that clothing to cover shoulders and knees was required for entrance, even when the temperature was 90 degrees outside. i was not prepared in the clothing i had brought and had to improvise, i wish i had known about that earlier.

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	intermediate ceramics
Course Department:	ceramics
Instructor:	Hoon Lee
Instruction Language:	english
Comments:	this class pushed each student to work indivudually on topics and skills of our choice but the part of this course that causes it to loose stars is the studio itself. many raw glaze and clay materials were either missing, mislabeled or past expiration(in particular glazes) causing much stress when materials were running low come mid semester. this should not have been an issue because of the few amount of students in the program during my time of study, but it caused much unneeded stress for the students
Credit Transfer Issues:	i had to issues with transfering credits

Course Name/Rating:	Book Arts and Papermaking
Course Department:	Book arts
Instructor:	Dan Essig
Instruction Language:	english
Comments:	this was my fist introduction to the art of books and papermaking and it was a great experience. the instructor was just a wealth of information that gave 110% back to those students that gave him their all. i learned a variety of skills in both bookbinding and papermaking and Dan was always in the studio before and after class if we needed extra help
Credit Transfer Issues:	no issues

Course Name/Rating:	Woodcut
Course Department:	printmaking
Instructor:	Keji Shinohara
Instruction Language:	english
Comments:	this was a fast paced and challenging course where we learned both western and eastern style woodblock printing techniques. students were expected to do outside worktime outside class, which was very necessary to stay on schedule with prints. the instructor was willing to have one-on-one printing sessions and explained each technique in depth as many times as needed for students to understand
Credit Transfer Issues:	no issue