Advice From Past Participants

Click here to view PowerPoint presentation from Kennesaw State University student and Summer '06 Italy participant Jonathan Rogers.

Bethany Breckenridge
Summer 2002, First Session

What did you find to be the best way to meet people of the country in which you were living? Why was this the best way?
Montepulciano was fabulous. I think I met the most people while I was traveling on the trains. 

In retrospect, what piece of advice would you give a future student regarding their non-academic life while abroad (social, travel, recreational)? 
Be open- minded and patient. This experience will probably change your whole outlook on life. 

What do you wish you had brought from home? 
I wish I had brought a better camera and more clothes to throw away. 

What do you wish you had left at home? 
I wish I had left some of the pairs of shoes I took at home, and some of the nice clothes. 

Any travel tips? (e.g. the train vs. the bus, a guidebook to buy?) 
Patience 

How about 'must see' places? Why are these 'must-see'? 
Vico Equense was my favorite place. It was on the Amalfi coast near Sorrento, and it was absolutely beautiful. It was near the beach, and it was a small town, so not many tourists.

How did you manage your money? Did you open a bank account, use credit cards, use a money card, traveler’s checks, or have money wired?
I brought one credit card with a $500 limit, $250 in traveler's checks, a debit card with $750 on it, and $75 in American cash. I had $50 changed over to Euros before I left also.

How would you suggest students’ access money? Why was this the most convenient way for you to handle money? 
The debit card was good, and also the credit card. The only thing bad about the debit card was that I was charged a service fee everytime I withdrew from it. Traveler's checks are good, but if the exchange rates are bad, you will end up losing money.

How much time did you spend per week doing homework and how does this compare to the time spent studying to earn comparable grades to ones earned on your home campus? 
I spent 2 hours, twice a week reading and doing homework for class. I only had one, so there wasn't too much work. 

Do you have any advice or comments to women who are going to study abroad in your program country? For example, what to wear or not to wear, how to respond to catcalls, what to expect in the classroom, etc* 
Take comfortable shoes and layered clothing. Bring a sweatshirt, some long sleeve shirts, plenty of t-shirts, and a light jacket. The weather can be very hot and very cold. The best advice I can give to girls when being hit on is to just ignore it. Don't follow up on our reputation, but don't be rude.

Overall Evaluation: What was the most positive aspect of the program? 
The most positive aspect of the study abroad program was the whole experience.

What would you change about the program? 
More variety in food.

List the two most important things you learned: 
It's not necessarily wierd, just different. Keep an open mind.

How do you plan to use/build upon your study abroad experience? 
I learned lots of independence.