Life Changing Experience Past Review
By A student (Mass Communication, University of Hartford) - abroad from 01/28/2013 to 05/18/2013 with
API (Academic Programs International): Florence - Lorenzo de’ Medici – The Italian International Institute (LDM)
Life changing!!!!!! While abroad I learned the real meaning of Culture. I was able to learn how people live in different places. With traveling to 10 countries and over 30 cities i got to know the true meaning of life and culture. I would not change my experience at all! Florence Italy will always be my second home! I know this experience made me want to travel more and see more countries in Asia because I seen so much of Europe. My last part I learned was meeting new people. Everyone in Europe has to learn English when they are in school so it made this experience a lot easier that I was able to communicate with people around me.
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 learned so much while studying abroad. These types of classes are not like the ones at our home university. The professor bring you around the city to teach you about the history, it was more hands and eyesight on. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The Florence team for API were AMAZING! They were so hands on and got to know you as a person! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was in a safe place! When ever we had a problem with something in the apartment the program was there either that night or the next morning. Some apartments are far from the school and some are right next to the school. They dont have a main campus which i like because it made the city the campus. |
| * Food: |
The food was unbelievable! The LDM school has a food plan but its not worth it! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone in the program got along. The night life in Italy is amazing! I was very cultural shock when I got there but go used to it. I think it was a bigger cultural shock when i came back to American then going to Italy. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had no health issues while I was there |
| * Safety: |
Very safe! You always have to watch out for pitpockers. You always need to keep your bag in front of you and nothing in the back pockets! always be aware of your surroundings. |
| 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) |
You need to say no. Buy what you need and budget yourself. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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? | 10+ |
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 they had a meet up in the States so we were able to meet people in the same program before traveling over there. |
