Eye-opening and exciting Past Review
By Mary F (English, Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 01/16/2015 to 04/25/2015 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy
Studying in Florence was completely worthwhile. Looking back there are things I would have done differently, but overall it's an experience that taught me how to make a foreign city home. I learned how to take advantage of different experiences like class trips or living so close to San Miniato (one of the most beautiful churches with an incredible view). Learning how to make each day an experience is a valuable lesson of studying abroad. Even a weekend at home turns into exploring the Boboli gardens and trying a world famous sandwich place. It sound cheesy, but when you are in a foreign country for only a 3 months you learn how to make every moment count.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Florence was the backdrop for every single one of my courses. There were regular class excursions to museums, market places, and famous sights in Florence that taught me more about my home city and its landmarks. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Every single member of the faculty and staff was friendly and helpful. When I knew I was going to miss the program trip to Cinque Terre, I was showed how to get there on my own. I felt they really wanted me to explore Florence and its surroundings. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our apartment was five minutes from the school building and ten or fifteen from the city centre. I would have loved to have more students from my program in the building aside from my roommates, but living amongst Italians was an invaluable experience. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt integrated with the local culture through my courses and going out on my own, however Florence is a very popular study abroad city so it can be easy to stick with other students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Florence is very safe though I would suggest keeping in mind that it is a city and study abroad students can be a target for theft. The best advice is to use the same precautions you would in any city. Be careful and don't travel late at night alone once the streets become deserted. |
| 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) |
Florence is a pretty inexpensive city compared to others. It is easy to budget however it can become expensive if you travel often or eat most meals out. My program provided museum cards that gave us free access to several different museums, which ended up saving me quite a bit. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I never spent more than 30 euro on groceries a week. Meals out were not expensive, but they do add up. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | The best advice is to know your budget before you leave. It is easy to get caught up and want to travel to a new country every weekend or eat every meal out. However, if you know your budget it can be easy to save money. Whenever I needed to budget I simply ate in more and explored less expensive cities outside of Florence. |
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 |
I took an Italian class 3 days a week and was constantly encouraged to speak it outside of class. I didn't come away from the program fluent, but by the end I could hold a conversation in Italian. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | I had taken one Italian course several years prior. |
| 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? | If you have taken some classes prior definitely don't be afraid to use the language. I was a beginner, but I still tried to speak Italian even if it was just ordering a panino. It made class easier and was the easiest way to integrate myself into Florence. |
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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| 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? |
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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? | It is very easy to get caught up in the traveling every weekend phenomenon. Being able to travel to different cities is amazing, but I think it is worthwhile to spend time in your home country. Florence is not the easiest place to travel from so my best advice is to not stress about weekend trips because Florence and Italy are amazing places. Also bring a coat because Italy is cold in the first few months of the spring semester. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
