The Italian Alps

Welcome to my website!! I have prepared this small website to share with you a little bit of the great experience I had while studying abroad in Milan, Italy. I hope you enjoy the site, and find it useful in your preparation toward your journey abroad. But before you start going through the content of the site, let me give you a little background about myself and the great school that I attend. My name is Antonio Orozco, and I am now a Fifth-Year Senior in Electrical Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Why a "Super-Senior" you might ask? ... Well because I had the great opportunity to go study abroad for a full year in Milan through the International Programs in Engineering  (IPENG), obtaining a Minor in International Engineering..  The experience of living abroad for a full year, becoming fluent in a new language, and the friends you make are well worth the extra year of school.  Trust me. If you are an engineering student, you well know that time is not a commodity. Taking a semester off to study abroad, not to mention an academic year, might seem completely out of the question if you want to graduate on time.  But if your school is really interested in producing well rounded and professional engineers, they will encourage you to do it.  The College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is aware of that, and it constantly reaffirms its support for such initiatives.  Thanks to them I was able to experience what you are about to see:

 

Living and Studying in Milan Milano--The fashion capital of the world. Milan is by far, one of the most important cities in Italy, if not "THE" most important one. Some might argue it is Rome, but Rome is simply the political capital of the nation. Who knows, maybe after a year there I became biased.... Milan is the financial and industrial center of the country, and the home to the most famous names in the world of fashion.  Soccer runs deep in the veins of the city, being the home to two of the most famous soccer clubs in Europe:  AC Milan, and Inter, every game is a celebration in the city.  Just to give you an idea of how important and vibrant this city is, if the north of Italy became independent, it would become the 6th mot powerful economy in the world, with Milan as its capital. Interesting, uh? As you can see Milan is a very attractive city for an engineering student looking to expand his professional and social skills. The contacts you make in this city may determine your future as a company executive, and  give you the key to the European and African markets. The Milanese are the kind of people that love to work hard and play hard.  After work, most people go to the coffee-bars that you can find all over the city for "Apperitivo" a Milan tradition. What is it?  Well, basically you go to a bar, buy a regular drink or beer, and with that you are able to eat as much as you want to from an excellent buffet of pastas, salads, and meats offered by the bar.  You meet up with friends, chat until midnight, and then go home to get ready for work the next day.  Once you experience this culture, you will never want to leave!!

Street in Milan

IES Milan

If you are a student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, you will find lots of help if you decide to study abroad. At your service there is the Study Abroad Office which takes care of all international programs at the University, and also the International Programs in Engineering (IPENG) Office which is run by the College of Engineering.  Milan is a rather new destination for U of I students, but the university has done a great job partnering with the Institute for the International Education for Students (IES) program based in Chicago to  take care of the academic, lodging, and personal care of its students while abroad.  IES is a well known and respected institution that has been teaching American students in Europe for the last 53 years.

The Study Abroad office and the IPENG office are excellent sources for information, and are extremely competent in guiding students through the requirements for studying abroad.  The IES program takes care of finding you an apartment in Milan where you can live, usually with another American student and an Italian roomate. I have to say that personally I was surprised by the great professionalism of the program, and their ability to help you obtain all the documents necessary for travel and stay in Italy.  The IES program in Milan also provides you with a cellular phone for your use while in Europe.

Their staff in Milan is dedicated to helping you adjust to life in Italy, and are very approachable. 

Academics

From my personal experience, I can tell you that the IES program in Milan provides an excellent academic environment for students.  The teachers are extremely well prepared, many of them holding doctoral degrees in their areas, as well as coming from diverse cultural backgrounds.  The IES center in Milan is affiliated with the Universitta' Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, one of the most respected universities in Italy.  Located in the historic center of the city, the university allows you to interact with Italian students through classes and social activities.  The university setting makes it very easy to meet new friends and learn about the Italian culture through the direct exposure to it.

The courses offered by IES Milan cover a wide range. Italian, history, politics, music, psychology, among others are the main areas of study. You can use most of the courses offered to satisfy your general education requirements at U of I, or if you are an engineering student, you can obtain a minor in International Engineering. 

IES receives students from all over the United States, from very diverse backgrounds, giving you a great group up people to hang out with. Below you can see pictures of some of the friends I made while in the program.

                               Friends in Siena, Italy                                                                                                       IES and Cattolica friends at Borromeo Islands

Chapel at Borromeo Palace, North of Milan

Field Trips The IES program in Milan encourages not only the academic and social growth of its students in a different culture. It also promotes the adventurous spirit in its students by organizing trips to places that tourists would otherwise never visit, but which locals adore. During my two semesters in Italy, we visited places such as: -An Agriturismo farm, in the middle of Tuscany where you live in an actual farm getting all your food that is locally produced and completely natural. -Cortina, a small beautiful town in the Italian Alps--the preferred winter spot for most italian artists, models, and politicians. -Cinque Terre, a set of five small towns built on cliffs that hang on the east coast of Italy. Definitely a MUST for visitors to Italy for its breathtaking views. -Parma, a famous town known all over the world for....can you guess?  Parmesan Cheese!  And interestingly enough, there is a lot more to see in this town. A beautiful city. We visited so many more places that a very extensive site would be necessary to share with you all of them.  You also have to opportunity to travel on your own, and here is a short list of the places I got to visit: -Sicily: This island is made to enjoy driving through it.  If you ever have the chance, rent a car and spend a week on the road. -Sardegna: By far, the most beautiful place in Italy and probably the world.  White Sand beaches, mountains, tropical climates, beautiful people. What else can you ask for? -Rijeka, Croatia: A very trendy, modern city.  Very warm people and beautiful mountainous scenery by the sea.  -Istanbul,Turkey: capital of the old Eastern Roman Empire. Beautiful city full of history and perfect combination of Western and Middle Eastern cultures.

Budget

The cost to study abroad in Italy varies depending on the length of your program. In the case of the Milan program through IES, here is the break down:

  *If you are an engineering student, the College of Engineering offers fellowships that will cover the cost of your airfare.

Also, there are several resources for scholarships to study abroad.  The IES program itself offers scholarships for students of low income resources.  The experience you get from studying abroad is worth the money you may spend in doing this.

A beach in Sardegna