Life changing Past Review
By Christine Syracuse (University of Hartford) - abroad from 08/28/2018 to 11/19/2018 with
University of Georgia: Studies Abroad Program in Cortona, Italy
Cheesy but true -it expanded my horizons Nice to unplug and create art that was directly influenced by my surroundings Learned to go with the flow Unique experience living in a small town, the group felt like a big family The program was prepared and the amount of planning put into everything made the experience that much greater for us
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
UGA provided fantastic resources to help every student Courses were challenging but well adapted to the cultural surroundings and program constraints |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Very transparent and helpful |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Beautiful, clean, safe Cannot be perfect due to regional challenges- difficulty with internet connection, power outages, fire alarm mysteriously going off 6 people sharing a bathroom not ideal |
| * Food: |
Provided breakfast ok Shopped for own lunch- sharing a kitchen with so many people was challenging Eating out -food was fantastic! Included dinners at Toninos -very nice |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Small town very friendly and welcoming, most everyone spoke English Italian language course not offered but "Coffee and Conversation with Enza" was a wonderful option |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Provided Counseling was superb Medical issues difficulty only with the country's limits staff and faculty was very helpful |
| * Safety: |
Felt very safe Socializing Safely meeting was very important - just use common sense! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Felt like I had a unique study abroad experience We had amazing opportunities provided for us to explore-especially the weekend excursions |
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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Plan to spend extra on gifts or personal shopping If you can wait buy something cheaper in a better location Do research before you leave- as there wont be much time or internet to do so Contact your bank beforehand that you will be traveling Get smaller change whenever possible!- Not everywhere accepts credit cards and it is helpful when buying something cheap or splitting a tab with others |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | You'll never feel fully prepared beforehand but that's okay- just go with the flow Absorb everything and everyone's experience is unique You don't have to be doing what everyone else is doing or follow preconceived notions to enjoy yourself |
