Florence was the best decision I've ever made! Past Review
By Traci S (Art History, University of Arizona) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy
Absolutely.
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. |
The workload wasn't as tedious as it is at my home school. The teaching methods for the Art History classes are wonderful, I think hands on learning is the best kind, instead of sitting in a class for 2 hours getting lectured. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program's strengths were definitely in their help. They were always there to help you, weather it be getting to the doctor, finding somewhere, giving you directions, or something more serious they were all very helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My house was in great proximity to nightlife and shops, but it was a bit of a walk to class. Being right outside Santa Croce it did at times get very loud at night, which made falling asleep a little difficult but other than that no big issues with location. Did not have to buy any sheets or housing supplies other than laundry soap and things of the like. |
| * Food: |
Grocery store doesn't have a lot that Americans are accustomed to, so that made making familiar meals difficult. However, there are a lot of great places to eat like Il Gatto, which is pretty cheap and you get a good amount of food with great service. Also Gusto Leo, Gusta Pizza, The Diner, for some good american food. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Rome-Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican Museums for the field trips - Pitti Palace, Palazzo Vecchio etc |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Personally, I did not have any safety issues during my trip. The only thing would be walking alone later at night, the men are a little more aggressive but if you just ignore them then its not a problem. As for health issues, I did get sick but did not have to go to the DR. The pharmacy's were very helpful in getting med's when needed, just explain what symptoms you have and they will suggest something for you. |
| 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) |
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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I did not use the host country language everyday or that much in general. Mostly everyone spoke English, or tried their best to understand and spoke in broken bits. I think that the language classes could improve by taking more time on each section, even if that means not covering everything from the present tense to the future tense. Also I think it would be helpful if the teachers were able to explain certain things more in english and give more comparisons so that everyone can get a good understanding of what is being taught. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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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? | Come prepared to spend lots of money, while you can find cheap dining, that is usually only for one dish. Also the grocery stores dont have a lot of American items that we are accustomed to, so find some recipes for Italian meals and save some money by cooking meals. Traveling is fairly inexpensive, but I would suggest booking and planning trips in advance so that you don't miss out on anything in the end. I think anyone and everyone can benefit from this type of program as long as you're willing to go outside of your comfort zone and want to meet new people and experience a new culture. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Iconography |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Angela Obrer |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was the best Art History class I have ever taken. The teacher was extremely knowledgeable, personable and understanding. She was very willing to help students when they needed it and was able to answer any and all questions that were asked during lectures. She took us on field trips that really related to what we were learning. I absolutely participated way more in this class than in any back at home. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
