Perugia is the place to be!
I have thoroughly enjoyed my abroad experience at the Umbra Institute, it is the perfect program in my opinion. With only around 70 students attending the institute at a time, it is highly unique in its small class sizes and the way that the staff care about all students. You get to know everyone so quickly which makes it so fun for all of the workshops and opportunities they offer. Over the semester they offer all kinds of fun like chocolate making workshops, pizza and pasta nights and wine tastings- super delicious and affordable/sometimes even free for all students! On top of that they arrange special trips including to the beach, rafting on the lake and hiking days which enable you to see some beautiful areas of Italy. Classes are also unique and highly interesting- my recommendation is the criminal behavior class with a professor who has real life experience of working on different criminal cases we learn in class! The student accommodation is so great for all your needs. I shared an apartment with one other umbra student with us each having our own bathrooms and bedrooms and having an amazing balcony for seeing the evening sunsets. The kitchen facilities are also fabulous, with every utensil you could ask for and plenty of pots and pans for making as much pasta as you could wish for! The housing department are truly there to help with anything you need- even for fixing wifi issues or if anything happens to become broken- you cannot fault them. Perugia as a city is just beautiful, with the most amazing hilltop views and the breathtaking cathedral next to the fountain, it has everything you need for a fun filled semester. The array of restaurants is top tier and unbelievably reasonable in price with the most delicious pizzas and pasta dishes mostly costing less than 10 euros- so affordable on a student budget. The collection of small bars and pubs is also amazing and a great opportunity to meet some locals! It truly is a one of a kind place, especially great for practicing your Italian skills whilst grabbing a morning cappuccino! Special mention for the chocolate festival in October- you have to attend it is truly so fun and so much chocolate to indulge in! The travel around Italy is also extremely accessible with Florence just a 2 hour train ride away and Rome about 2 and a half away, this makes seeing all different parts of Italy so easy. So choose Perugia and the Umbra Institute, truly a once in a lifetime experience!
