Florence, Italy: I miss living the Italian life everyday! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

My Italian class was amazing. It was taught in Italian 95% of the time and forced me to reach outside of classroom hours to improve my language skills. My Photography class wasn't what I expected, but was one of the best classes i've ever taken. The teachers and staff were amazing.

On-site administration of your program

The on-site administration was great. The first night of our program, the administrators took us all out to dinner and got to know us pretty well. When we were in Rome, one of the women took us on a night walk and showed us one of the ancient 7 hills. After dinner we walked around and basically got a guided tour of rome after dark. The administrators at the accademia were incredibly helpful and there to answer any and all questions. No complaints!

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

We lived in a residential apartment and were integrated into the italian culture perfectly. Our neighbors were italians and we lived on a busy fun street. I lived in a big four person bedroom with only 2 other girls so we had more than enough space. I really enjoyed being in the same complex as the girls in my program because we were able to meet up and get together with no problems. The aesthetics were nice, fully furnished with Ikea decorations. No A/C which is to be expected and I was in one of the only old mattresses so my bed might have been the only uncomfortable one. Regardless, everything was great. Great roommates and nice kitchen. we didn't need to buy a single thing (although i suggest an extra fan) and we were down the street from a grocery store.

I absolutely loved the food and didn't deny myself a single piece of italy's cuisine culture. The street I lived on, borgo degli albizi was packed with amazing restaurants and I didn't find one I didn't love while there. The food is truly a part of the culture so I suggest letting yourself indulge (not excessively) in the italian cuisine. The pesto was probably my favorite.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I really took advantage of traveling around Italy for the time I spent during the program and I highly suggest it. After class, I would find that I had wandered around the bustling streets of Florence, had lunch, grabbed a gelato and soaked in all the culture i could and 3 hours later be back at home. It was great living in a city so easily managed on foot and gave me the opportunity to safely and leisurely explore. I highly recommend going to Rome but for more than a few hours. It gets better each time you go. San Gimignano was wonderful and my favorite was the Amalfi Coast. Use the resoruces provided by florence for fun and take advantage of their 25 euro chianti hiking tours and the day trip to venice!

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Florence is such a small town while still being an attractive city and the benefit is that I always felt safe. Walking around at night wasn't an issue and I never felt uneasy. I always tried to walk with someone from my program just because you never know at night but during the day I encourage you to take a map and wander around by yourself. There is so much to stumble upon and as long as you keep a safe guard up, you will be fine. We didn't have any major student health issues, but if we did, i feel confident that the school and program would have been more than accommadating.

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

I was one of the few who was taking Italian there out of my other program students, so the best way for me to practice was through locals and my Italian (non study-abroad Arcadia students). I was in class 4 hours Monday - Thursday with my Italian students and we would try to speak in italian every chance we got during breaks and lunches. I think the most helpful time for me to practice was when i was out at dinner or getting a gelato. It was tricky to speak italian when all the american students were together, but when I was walking to class or grabbing a quick bite I could try my italian with vendors. The best way to be forced to speak the language is to go to smaller towns and cities. In florence, as with other big cities, they speak english and they speak it well. If you go to san gimignano or orvieto, they don't speak as much english and is the perfect opportunity to try and learn. All of the italians appreciated my effort to communicate in their language and often game me helpful criticism when I would say the wrong thing.

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• Americans