My Study Abroad Housing: The Sant’Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy
Words and photos by Makenna Kaminski, our Jetsetter Journalist studying abroad in Sorrento, Italy, during Spring semester 2023.
There were many things that convinced me to choose the Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy, as my home for the next four months, and the housing was one of them.
Located in a restored convent, the Institute’s historic, remodeled school building has three floors of classrooms and two floors of student dorms right above. The dorms offer safe places for students to live inside their learning environment, creating an all-in-one student experience.
I hadn't lived in a dorm during my freshman year of college like most students, so I wasn't sure what to expect from my initial dorm experience. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised by the spacious dorm rooms, amazing views, and all the other amenities. The Sant'Anna Institute is definitely far better than the traditional freshman dorm.
The dorms are each shared by two students who also share a bathroom located on-suite. Both the bathrooms and the dorm rooms are definitely comfortable for two people to share, and they are also cleaned by a weekly cleaning service which is an added plus. The school gives each resident a set of towels and sheets upon arrival (also cleaned by the staff!), so students don't have to worry about bringing anything extra from home.
The communal kitchen is shared by all of the dorm's students, and it is divided into four different cooking "stations" that are assigned by room number. Each station has its own oven, microwave, large fridge, double cook-top, and cabinet space. Students have the opportunity to buy their own groceries and then can cook meals as they wish.
The shared kitchen was immediately one of my favorite things about the dorms. Every day, all the dorm residents come out of their rooms and cook meals together, do their homework at one of the large dining tables, or talk. It's a functional kitchen space, but also acts as a dual social area!
I also love the residence halls because they're right above the school's administration and classrooms. This makes it so easy to get to class and grab meals in between. The adorable school library and student lounge are also right below, perfect for easy access for doing work or club meetings. All the staff are right there too, ready to help with any question a student might have.
On top of all this, the residence hall offers an amazing location, right at the heart of Sorrento. The school's path leads right out onto Via Marina Grande, the waterfront street of Sorrento.
The path takes you right down a steep hill of gorgeous cobblestone steps through an archway and then right onto the waterfront with the fishermen at work. It's a picturesque view of everything Sorrento, and it's directly below Sant'Anna's steps.
The location also gives the benefit of stunning views from every room of the school. Each dorm has a window with a view, and mine looks right onto the marina's waters below. Students can also get these views from the classrooms downstairs which are lined with huge windows that open in the warmer months, a little distracting from class, but totally worth it.
Lastly, the school even has its own lemon grove right downstairs. All of the students have access to the garden, but it makes it so much better that I can just take a 10-second walk down any time that I want to go grab some fresh fruit. I've already made it a habit to venture down and grab one almost every day. How many students can say that this is how they start their mornings?
The housing at Sant'Anna offers it all: a social, safe, comfortable school community in the best location, with even better views. What more could you ask for?