A Step Outside My Comfort Zone Past Review
By A student (Benedictine College) - abroad from 01/28/2015 to 04/10/2015 with
Benedictine College: Florence - Semester Program in Florence, Italy
I gained a sense of independence and a greater appreciation for little moments of beauty. It was definitely worthwhile.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Benedictine College chose wonderful places to tour that gave us opportunities for art and culture that we would not get as normal tourists. They also gave us plenty of opportunities to explore the country on our own so we could have our independence. |
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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $75-100/week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Pack lunches with your friends when taking day or weekend trips. Buy food at the local stores and markets rather than always going to restaurants and cafes. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | No Italian, 12 years of Spanish |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Go out into the city and challenge yourself to use the language 3-5 times to ask for something rather than using English. Use the language to bring yourself into the local culture rather than forcing the people there to come to you. |
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? |
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 that I had known that it went so quickly so that I could spend my time wisely and not waste a moment of it. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
