USAC Turin is an AMAZING program! Past Review

By (Business Administration, California State University - Chico) for

USAC Italy: Torino - International Business, Politics, Architecture, and Italian Studies

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
My experience living and going to school in Turin was absolutely amazing. I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. The experiences you have and the things you learn in the classroom, traveling and living in a foreign country are invaluable. My advisors at Chico State and at my host university were so helpful and made the experience that much better. I would, without a doubt, recommend this program to anyone who is interested in studying abroad. My only regret is only doing one semester. Make the commitment and stay for the year, I wish I did! It was truly the experience of a lifetime! Feel free to email me if you have any questions, concerns or want to know more about the program, city, classes etc.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The courses were great. They were applicable to my major and minor, and they all transferred back to my home university for credit. The teachers were all very helpful and none of the classes were extremely difficult.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The administration was extremely helpful, friendly, available and very knowledgeable.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I loved my apartment and I loved my roommates. It was awesome living downtown in Turin. It was close to the nightlife, but a little bit of a commute to school. I had to take the metro and the bus, but it was super easy and I didn't mind. The basic housewares are provided, I brought my own sheets, but they were provided at the apartment. We had a washer in out apartment but no dryer (this is standard in Italy). Line drying everything was totally manageable. Our landlord Guido was very nice and extremely helpful as well!

* Food:

AMAZING!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Great nightlife downtown! We had one overnight trip arranged by the advisors to Verona and Venice. I would definitely recommend it. For the price (transportation, lodging and places visited) it was definitely worth it!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I never had any health issues while I was there, but the people who did were able to get medicines easily. I felt very safe in my apartment, traveling around, and living in the city. I honestly felt safer in Italy than I did sometimes in Chico. It's not hard to be make good decisions, avoid shady places/people and be safe while still having a good time.

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
Language acquisition improvement?

First semester Italian is mandatory if you haven't had previous Italian courses. You definitely need a little bit of Italian to get around Turin. It isn't a touristy Italian city like Milan or Florence where most people speak English. That is one of the things that makes Turin such a great city. I didn't know any Italian before I got there and I was fine. You pick up the necessary Italian to get by, and in a pinch you can usually get by with basic english and some really broken Italian haha.

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

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? It definitely takes a certain type of person to live abroad. You have to be open minded, willing to go with the flow and be ready for whatever. There are always some ups and downs and unexpected things, but that's just part of the experience and you have to roll with it!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

International Affairs Since 1945

Course Department:
Instructor: Ferrari
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

International Finance

Course Department:
Instructor: Giuseppe Dutto
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

International Marketing

Course Department:
Instructor: Art Galarza
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Italian Cuisine

Course Department:
Instructor: Elisabetta
Instruction Language: English
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

International Human Resource Management

Course Department:
Instructor: David Hames
Instruction Language:
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

First & Second Semester Italian

Course Department:
Instructor:
Instruction Language: English/Italian
Comments:
Credit Transfer Issues: