Florence, Italy: Enriching and tasty Past Review

By Kelsey S (Business/Corporate Communications., The University of Texas at Austin) for

Arcadia: Florence - Accademia Italiana Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

Yes, only thing wrong was the drama that the other students wanted to partake in. Sometimes it felt a little like being in a small high school. I tried my best to avoid the drama but could have done even better by making plans with people I met during the program and trying to do something worthwhile in the city every day.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Knowledge was limited. Did not make it clear on what was due at a specific deadline. Website was outdated. They did hold somewhat helpful information sessions but overall they were difficult to get ahold of.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Was a great apartment but the landlord was stubborn and also hard to get ahold of. Many appliances broke often and needed repair. Great location.
* Food:	Quality was amazing! Variety was limited.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Weekend trips were my favorite.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	Florence is extremely safe. Be smart at night time and in large crowds. Mostly just petty crime but we didn't even have a problem with that. However, don't be stupid and have your money showing or let the locals know that you're an inexperienced tourist because they may try to pick-pocket you.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	Yes

Finances

* 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)
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	That the weekend trips were going to be expensive and that the euro at this time was almost double the American dollar. Beware of currency exchange!!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program?	None
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?
Language acquisition improvement?	Teachers, store clerks, others who knew Italian.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Go to your host city with zero expectations, twice the money you think you'll need, and an attitude fit for meeting all sorts of new people. Don't limit yourself to a small, exclusive friend group and avoid program drama. The world is too interesting to spend your time worrying about petty things.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Painting
Course Department:
Instructor:	Erin
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Yes it was challenging because we were required to paint every day, even on weekends. She was knowledgeable but somewhat short tempered.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Yes, they did not make it very clear before or after on how to transfer my credits. I am currently trying to figure that out.

Course Name/Rating:	Drawing
Course Department:
Instructor:	Oliviero Draghi
Instruction Language:	English and Italian
Comments:	Excellent teacher. Very understanding and patient. Loves what he does and knows how to instruct without being overbearing.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Yes - hard to understand how to transfer credits. Just make sure you know what to do before you leave in case you have to save your work and other documents to show your university.