My heart remains in Florence. Past Review
By A student (Biology and Biomedical Sciences, St. Mary's College of Maryland) - abroad from 01/16/2015 to 05/07/2015 with
AIFS: Florence - Richmond in Florence and Internship Program
I believe that studying abroad should be a requirement for all American students. I think this would show Americans to be more open-minded and give them a more global perspective, as opposed to the typical narrow-minded bubble that most Americans live in. Studying abroad is a time for a lot of self-growth to occur.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
AIFS was absolutely amazing. The staff was fantastic and always willing to help. The provided housing was spectacular. My landlord did not speak a lick of English but with the help of the staff, everything went smoothly. The planned trips were above and beyond what I expected. The meal plan was out-of-this-world with vouchers for the local restaurants throughout the center of Florence. I have never eaten as good as I did while in Florence. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Maybe 5-10 euro a week on food because we had a meal plan. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to pregame before going out, it'll save you a lot of money since drinks are more expensive at bars/clubs. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None in Italian. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Definitely try to learn the language prior to going. It is rude and ignorant to assume that another country will know your language. Get to know the language of your abroad country as much as you can prior to going and while you're there. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew not to get involved with Eastern Europeans. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
