Truly missing Firenze Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload was not too difficult. The Italian teaching style is different and they expect for you to read outside of the class. That being said the teachers were pretty lenient when it came to grading and I was still able to learn quite a lot. There was an attendance policy but teachers were and would be more than willing to accommodate students.

On-site administration of your program

The administration helped with literally anything a student needed. Staff would go out of their way to make our experiences as comfortable as they could possibly be. Staff knew where to go, what to do, and who to talk to in case of any issues. They are very easy going and enjoy seeing students adapt!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartment was set up with basically everything we needed in an upper class neighborhood. Italian families lived in other apartments in the same building as this was the case in most of the city. My house was very close to the school and was very close to the city center, although many students lived right in the center. It was nice to live just outside of the crowds and most things were not more than a ten minute wlak away.

AIFS offers more than enough in terms of meal plan. Meal vouchers were distributed and usually used as cash to buy meals. Many students had a lot left over. This helped tremendously in students budgets as many other students in other programs were forced to cook many of the nights due to budget restraints. We were able to eat authentic Italian food almost every night.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Our orientation in Siena was for two weeks and was fabulous. Program also brought and paid for hotels and tours in Rome and Venice. Program also had very nice welcome and departure dinners as well as many various different activities to participate in; including soccer games, cooking/pizza making classes, the opera, and much more.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The program made sure we were all insured in Italy when coming abroad providing us with insurance. I did get sick and was able to find an English seeking doctor easily with the help of the program. Other students got more seriously sick and the staff went out of their way to take care of them. Safety was generally not an issue. Many students did get pickpocketed in touristy areas of the city, and students should be aware of this.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Many people in Florence did speak English. The orientation program in Siena however forced us to learn and speak Italian for two weeks. Italian study was required throughout the two week orientation and another class in Florence. Anyone who wants to practice can do so every day at the school or on the streets. All of the Italian teachers were great!

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• Apartment

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• Americans

• meal plan
• the trips
• the staff

• meeting Italian students