Falling for Florence Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I found the API Orientation incredibly helpful in preparing me for the educational experience - it's really important to realize that in a different country, classes can be taught differently and expectations differ also. That wasn't something I had necessarily considered but it was good to keep in mind. The class offerings were the main reason why I chose this exact program; I was able to take classes that don't exist at my own school and the field trips were incredible. I was also able to finish my minor in music with one of my classes. My Italian class and the other two classes I took were pretty similar; just discussion & lecture. There was a fair amount of reading in one of them, but it didn't differ dramatically from what I'm used to at home. I did take a cooking class, which was wonderful and completely different from any class before; it really fascinated me and the teacher was just wonderful. I actually looked forward to going to most of my classes.

On-site administration of your program

API was very accessible throughout the semester, and I was very impressed with both the home and on-site staff. They were always very helpful and supportive and ready to answer any questions. My expectations were exceeded.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments were fully furnished and really nice - my expectations were definitely exceeded. I always felt safe and the location was really perfect - not far from anywhere I went on a daily basis. I needed to buy a few items, but most of them I found at the euro-store and nothing was particularly costly. I also really appreciated how easy it was to get wireless internet in the apartment - that was a major plus.

Food really became an important part of my study abroad experience - mostly because it's one of the highlights of Italy! I found it easy to find high quality produce for relatively cheap in the market and loved being able to cook for myself. There are several vegetarian restaurants in Florence - my favorite was Il Vegetariano. I recommend checking out happycow.net, which is an online source for vegetatian & vegan restaurants & grocery stores - their database is global.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The best trip I went on was to a vineyard with my cooking class for a wine tasting. I ended up going to 3 different tastings total, and I thought they were just wonderful. The more I learn about wine, the more interesting I find it and I really enjoyed learning about it from an Italian point of view, as it is such an important part of their culture. The Fiorentina football (soccer) game was also lots of fun, it was fun to get into it. I definitely felt immersed within the culture and came out with a deepened appreciation not just for Italian culture, but for the value of cultural immersion in general.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There was a lot of information about safety, doctors to go to, etc, and I felt very well-equipped knowing who/where to go to. API was always very helpful.

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

Italian classes were required, and I took an intermediate 3-hour course (I had taken 3 semesters of it at my home university). I really appreciated that ti was taught solely in Italian, I really think just hearing it constantly was the most helpful thing in learning the language. I didn't necessarily need to know Italian; Florence is big enough that I heard as much English as I did Italian on a daily basis, but I did make a concerted effort to speak the language, and that helped a ton. There was a program through the school that connected me with an Italian student to practice her English and my Italian, but it was not as helpful as it could have been - she had been learning English since she was 8, and I had only had 3 semesters of Italian, so it was too easy to just speak in English. My recommendation would be to speak it as often as possible, even if they speak English back to you - once you show that you are trying, usually people are very willing to "practice" with you.

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