I wish I had known...
1) Everyone in Italy wears black, grey and white! I happened to bring lots of artistic, second-hand, retro-grungy sorts of american-college student colorful clothes that seemed a bit strange. 2)Learning a foreign language takes more effort than you might think - and everything goes so much more smoothly when you can communicate to some degree in the language of your host country. 3)Have very few expectations about your host country and host people - because they will be sure to change. 4) Know how to get over disappointments and frustrations. Living abroad can be tricky, but you'll always have a good story of it if you know emotionally how to stay flexible, patient and open-minded. 5) Don't go out alone at night in the dark in a foreign country. You're an easy target for any sort of danger or abuse, which is made all the more exaggerated when you don't speak the native language well. Therefore, know how to say a few phrases very well that let people know they shouldn't bother you - and be VERY firm when you don't want their company. 6) It's good to be friendly - but be wary of strangers. 7) Keep a good, communicative relationship with your roommate(s) and other students in the school. This is your support network! 8) If you get homesick, don't worry about it too much. It's natural, and if you don't dwell on it too much, the feeling will pass. It's easy to soothe this feeling by staying in good touch with your family and friends at home. I found email the best solution, because it's cheap and I love to write, anyway.

In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.

I wish I had known...
That it is really hard to meet people at this school if you do not come with your university or with friends of your own. It really makes you grow up fast and become independent. Italy, while being one of the most magnificent places on earth, is a very difficult and bureacratic country to live in.

In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.

I wish I had known...
No. It would have changed my experience.

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!

I wish I had known...
I wish I had known who my roommates were before I went. I assumed all would be American but one was Danish and we had problems initially in terms of culture shock though not with Italian culture but with each others. Eventually it worked out but it would have been easier to learn more before I went.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
I wish I would've known that it was going to be a life changing experience and that it'd be the best five months of my life. I would've studied a whole year there.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
That it costs extra money to sit and eat in a cafe, rather than stand and eat.

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!

I wish I had known...
I wish my home/host university had coordinated better on the housing issue.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
A little basic understanding of the language and social culture of Italy would of helped me immensely during the first month of my stay.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
To save up more money

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
n/a

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
pretty much everything was a surprise, but not in a bad way

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
I wish I had realized more housing options. I though the safest thing to do was to stay in the residential hotel; however, I think I would have enjoyed an apartment more.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
I wish I had known that living with a family would have furthered my knowlegde of the culture. Also that I would learn so much more about life in general.

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!

I wish I had known...
I wish I had started learning Italian before I went

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
More about all the countries in Europe.

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!

I wish I had known...
Italian doors are wind locks, not one turn locks like in the US.

In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.

I wish I had known...
Bring more money!

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!

I wish I had known...
Italy in the summer has more tourists than you could possibly imagine. The Italians don't like them and things can get a bit expensive. The Sistine Chapel was closed the Sunday I went.

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.

I wish I had known...
no

In my opinion:
Everybody loved it, you will too!

I wish I had known...
no

In my opinion:
Most people loved it.