Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

An Amazing Experience in an Amazing City Past Review

By (History And Political Science, SUNY - College at New Paltz) - abroad from 01/14/2013 to 04/19/2013 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
From studying abroad, I gained a sense of confidence and self sufficiency. Ive also gained a sense of ambition. It was absolutely worthwhile.

Review Photos

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy Photo CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy Photo CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy Photo CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy Photo

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 2 weeks - 1 month

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The professors at CAPA rarely kept us in the classroom. Most of the classes included excursions around the city, allowing us to learn by experience. We also got to see parts of the city that we would have otherwise skipped over because of our professors.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The CAPA Florence staff is extremely helpful and caring. They knew each of us by name and were available 24-7 about any problems we were having- academic or not. I cannot praise the staff of this program enough.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

CAPA Florence offers the option of living with a host family or in an apartment with other students in the program. I lived in a spacious apartment next to the Ponte Vecchio, it was a bit far from class but the apartment was great. We had wifi, a dishwasher and washing machine.

* Food:

CAPA doesn't provide food itself, but the city of Florence has a ridiculous amount of amazing restaurants and has a variety of supermarkets. I usually took a tram (which CAPA provided a free transportation pass for) to a big supermarket outside of the city where I was able to get food for very reasonable prices. We cooked for ourselves most nights and saved a lot of money.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

I did feel integrated with local culture, but there are a ton of American students in Florence from various programs.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have an experience with healthcare myself, but we were given information about an American doctor in the area and about all of the hospitals in the city. The program directors had an emergency cell phone that we could contact at any time, which made me feel safe.

* Safety:

Florence is a pretty safe city. There were situations of men calling out at girls on the street or approaching them at a club, but as long as you stay smart and aware of your surroundings, there typically wouldn't be any issues.

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)

The conversion rate of the dollar to the Euro is not favorable, but I managed to stay within my budget and still enjoy myself. Cooking for yourself is a big money saver in Florence.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $75-$100 a week
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook for yourself! And shop at the Co-op.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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? An intermediate level course
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? Push yourself to take the highest level language course you're able to. And don't be afraid to speak outside of the classroom or with your roommates.

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
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The program directors and professors developed close relationships with us.
  • My apartment was great.
  • We had Fridays off!
* What could be improved?
  • More classes to apply to students majors.
  • More opportunities for integration with local Italians
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? That I should have planned on staying longer because 3 months wasn't enough time!

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 Avid Adventurer
The wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal.