I studied abroad in Perugia back in the summer of 2006. Wow, that was five years ago. Time sure does fly, but I still fondly remember the time I spent here.
Perugia is not exactly on the top of tourist destinations in Italy, but it's a fun city and a perfect jumping point to visit the rest of Italy. Florence is a two hour train ride north, and Rome is two hours south. Speaking of trains, the Italian system does take some getting used to. It's not always obvious where you need to switch trains so some basic Italian really comes in handy!
I took two summer classes: Italian art history (my major), and photography. Both were pretty basic to be honest, but the experience was more about being abroad rather than the study, if you know what I mean! Each class also included a field trip which was fun.
I lived with two other students from my university in an apartment the program rented for us. I think you have the option to live with an Italian family, but I'm not 100% on that. At any rate, the apartment was nice and clean complete with a small kitchen that we cooked in a lot. There was a small market down the street to buy food. *Warning* Italian stores close in the afternoon from 2 to 7 (approx.) so buy your food early if you don't want to starve.
That's about it. I had a great summer and really enjoyed traveling around the rest of Italy and Europe. I personally loved visiting Venice and other parts of northern Italy. I also made it to Germany and France which were great.
Good luck! I really can't say enough good things about the experience of studying abroad.
