Jenna
Making the choice to study abroad was the best decision of my life. I discovered a passion for travel I never knew I had. It inspired me to apply for an internship with Contiki Holidays, an incredible tour company for people my age that love to travel and discover the world. As a campus representative for SDSU, Contiki has blessed me with the chance to travel to Europe again! I am so grateful for the study abroad experience. It has impacted my life more than I ever knew it could. I will always hold those memories dear to my heart and never forget the people and experiences I made! "
MY GUIDE TO ITALY
1. Which program did you attend?
CIMBA in Paderno del Grappa, Treviso, Italy
2. Were there different choices of where to live? Which do you recommend?
There were 2 dorm buildings, but you couldn't choose which one you were in. You could choose whether you wanted a single or double room, though. I would highly suggest a double room. People with singles seemed to feel the effects of homesickness to a much stronger degree.
3. How close to school are the different accommodations?
On campus dorms
4. Did you have cooking facilities in you place of residence? Is there a cafeteria nearby?
There were no kitchens or anything in the dorms, but there is a cafeteria on campus.
5. Do you need to purchase a monthly travel card for city transportation?
No
6. What are the popular lines/stops around the area?
Paderno is a very small town so there's one bus stop and that will take you to Bassano where the train station is to get to everywhere else. It's easiest to take a cab to get to the train station or the airport. Especially if you have enough people to split the cost & make it fairly cheap.
7. Would you recommend getting a cell phone there?
If you don't have a phone with global capabilities, then yes, I would definitely recommend getting a cell phone there.
8. What was internet availability like on campus?
At your residence? Yes it was available, but it was extremely slow. There is also WiFi in some of the classrooms.
9. If you don’t bring a laptop are there computer labs on campus? Internet cafes nearby?
Yes, there's an on campus computer lab, but I would highly recommend bringing a lap top for anything from school work to watching movies to downloading TV shows (which is why the Internet was so slow)
10. Do you need to set up a bank account there? If so, what are the steps involved for doing so?
I was only there for 3 months so I didn't. Just make sure your bank knows you're going to be making purchases and withdrawing money abroad.
11. Where did you do laundry?
What was the cost? You get enough laundry coins to do laundry sparingly for 3 months in the on campus laundry room.
12. Is there any clothing to avoid wearing?
When traveling to churches you will want to not where anything really short or revealing. In some, the knees and shoulders must be covered. Just do your research. But nothing was really taboo in day-to-day attire in Paderno.
13. Did you go on any trips? Where?
Where didn't I go is a better question! I went to Dublin, London, Oxford, Ibiza in Spain, Frankfurt, Munich, Fussen in Germany, Krakow in Poland, Prague in the Czech Republic, Ljubljana in Slovenia, Rome, Venice, Nice, Marseille, Amsterdam, Vienna in Austria, and Berlin. There might be a few other places I'm forgetting, but I think that's about it!
15. What were your favorite bars/pubs/nightclubs? Where were they?
The Roman pub crawl was amazing. The Temple Bar area in Dublin is a lot of fun. The local discotecha in Bassano was kind of a dive, but when you have 100 of your closest friends all there it's a lot of fun. Oktoberfest was one of the greatest experiences of my life thus far (I'm planning on going back next year). Prague, Ibiza, Amsterdam, and Berlin all have great nightlife activities. In those cities you kind of have to research the places to find what scene you're in to because there are so many of such a wide variety.
16. Favorite places to eat
Al Sole Pizzeria!! 10 minute walk from campus and the best pizza you will ever have.
17. Any particular travel books you recommend? Rick Steve’s books are all superb and Go Europe.
18. Were your classes/tests hard?
You learn, but they aren't as challenging as at SDSU. The professors understand that you have a lot on your plate with being in a new country and traveling all the time and what not. It was nice not to have to be really stressed about school. That would just take away from the enjoyment of traveling and being in a new environment.