Florence: Great food, atmosphere and people! Past Review
By Samantha H (Human Services, General., University of Hartford) for
API (Academic Programs International): Florence - Lorenzo de’ Medici – The Italian International Institute (LDM)
I loved it! Being away from home was a new experience for me and I really gained a sense of independence and it opened my eyes to all different cultures.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I found the workload to be overwhelming at times, but keeping up with the readings is necessary. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The strengths were that they were very helpful and always there to answer your questions. No weaknesses. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
I wish there were meal vouchers, food got expensive but API provided us with an apartment fully equipped with a kitchen so we would have dinners there quite often and take turns cooking. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Going out on the weekends was a great way to bond and meet new people. I was traveling almost every weekend to a different country to experience a different culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
You had to be careful at night, and in the daytime of gypsy's and pick pocketers. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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? | 50-200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling gets very expensive, so does food. Florence is known for its shopping so if you like to do that, bring some extra bucks. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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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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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? | Make sure you understand all aspects that are included and not included when choosing a program. Before classes begin, take a walking tour and get into your routine to avoid getting lost. |
