Studying in Italy outside of the Tourist Traps

UNH in Italy was a wonderful program because it gave me an option to study in real Italy - away from the tourist areas of Rome and Florence. I studied for my spring semester in Ascoli Piceno - a three hour bus drive from Rome. Here, the twelve other students and I were the only foreigners in town and thus needed to improve our Italian immediately in order to get around town and get our daily errands accomplished. Because it was a small program, my classes were very personalized and accommodating to my needs. My intermediate italian class was only myself and one other student and I feel I improved a lot with daily instruction from Monday-Thursday.
Because we weren't engulfed in other american school programs, I had the opportunity to create local friends and enjoyed my nights out around the beautiful medieval town as well as gallivanting off into the Italian countryside in little white Fiats every night my friends were free. It was an incredible experience that allowed me to truly experience Italian culture and improve my language skills. I recommend this program highly.