Incredible Past Review
By Julie G (Indiana University - Bloomington) - abroad from 09/05/2014 to 12/13/2014 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy
How to be independent, how to meet people on my own, how to communicate better with foreigners, and how to really immerse myself in another culture.
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. |
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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? |
I felt like I was in an American bubble on the program. The staff tried to integrate us into the culture, but it was difficult to integrate with Italian students our age because our program only had American students, and all of our classes were in English. |
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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
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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? | $70, but this is because I sometimes chose to eat out. Groceries were not expensive. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't eat out all the time, groceries are fresher and cheaper abroad and you can make a lot of what you buy in restaurants at home anyway. |
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 |
The professors definitely wanted the students to learn Italian, but many of the students didn't try to use it often, so the professors settled for English, which I wish they hadn't because it could've helped us a lot more if they stuck to Italian all the time. |
| 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? | 5 years in middle/high school |
| 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? | Find language exchange partners in the community! |
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? | It's better to do things on your own than with a group because you'll be able to do more and will meet more people/improve the language more that way. |
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 AdventurerThe 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. |
