Past Review
By Victoria S (Global Studies, SUNY - Binghamton) for
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy
Even though the academics were not great, you still learn a lot from studying abroad so I still gained a lot of information about a foreign culture. My one regret is that I didn't do it for longer.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2010 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I really enjoyed my time in Italy but I don't think I gained a lot from any of my classes. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Most of the staff was really involved but the director basically told us at the beginning that he didn't care about us as humans, just as students (which I suppose is ok since he's only the director) and the receptionist was really unfriendly so it was hard to go to her for help/questions/concerns/etc. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I had my own bedroom/bathroom in a house with an Italian family with no other students. It was right near Via dei Mille, in the periphery of Florence. <br /><br /> It was a safe area in a beautiful apartment but it was pretty far away from the city center. |
| * Food: |
I thought living in a host family would give me a better experience with Italian food but they gave me pasta with tomato sauce every night. I don't even like tomato sauce anymore! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The program was compromised of two main host schools from America that were very closed off in the beginning. CAPA didn't really enforce any "getting to know you" activities and it was a small enough program that you could do that. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe. Florence is a safe place with lots of policemen. I was lucky enough to not get sick. I had to go to the dentist once but they only temporarily fixed my issue. There are lots of pharmacies with medicine throughout the city. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Probably about 50 euro but I ate breakfast and dinner at home on weekdays. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Souvenir shopping-you'll want to buy more than you expect! |
Language
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Practice and do the HW! Most people in the city center will answer you in English-tell them you want to speak Italian! |
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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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you're looking to not actually learn, CAPA is a good program. |
