Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

There wasn't a lot of work but the work I did have was difficult. The grading system was mostly just like my home university so there wasn't any surprises there. Teachers expect you to just write down verbatim what they say without writing anything on chalkboards which was different for me. Overall though, the experience was wonderful. I even had one teacher take us on a walking tour of Florence to all the places Dante Alighieri went. It was refreshing.

On-site administration of your program

They were always there for you and extremely helpful. They would grab a cup of coffee with you to practice your Italian and were very organized when we went on trips to other parts of Italy. They always made you feel welcome and very at home.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived probably 15 minute walk from the Duomo. We weren't far from the school or the market and our neighborhood was fairly quiet. We lived at 27 Aprile apartment 13. I lived with 7 other girls and despite having very diverse backgrounds, we never really had any issues. We had a gorgeous balcony that looked over beautiful gardens. We could hear the Duomo bells ringing in the morning. It was lovely. We had two bathrooms which was nice and working kitchen and laundry room. <br /><br /> I loved our apartment. There was plenty of space and at the same time there was always someone around if you wanted company. I felt very safe in our neighborhood and the noise level wasn't bad because we weren't in the center of the nightlife. We could go home and not be disturbed. The balcony was the best part about our apartment. We would sit out there for hours and talk, laugh, eat or even dance. I feel it made us closer. Our kitchen was small but it had everything we needed. Each person got their own cabinet or space to store their groceries and the stove was functional. The bedrooms were huge with high ceilings and windows. There were fans everywhere to keep the rooms cool. We had a TV but it was never on because it barely worked. We had great internet connection. The apartment was a 5 minute walk to class and the market which was amazing. Being that close made life so much easier. On the other hand, it was a hike to the nightlife scene.

The beauty of Italy is everything is fresh, home grown and delicious. The market is the best place because it's not that expensive to get a lot of good food. But, don't buy in bulk because some things might go bad. Also, go out to eat. A lot. Try new things and enjoy the food. It's the best you'll ever eat. We went to many restaurants and nothing failed us.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I loved every aspect. They exposed us to so much. We got to go to an opera, a soccer game and saw many parts of Italy.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt very safe. Since Florence isn't a big city I felt there wasn't as much crime going on. If you felt sick, someone from the program brought you to a doctor and stayed with you. They were very considerate.

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

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