The best 4 months of my life! Past Review
By Morgan Sewall (Merrimack College) - abroad from 01/13/2017 to 04/22/2017 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy
mostly a greater sense of the world around me. My eyes were opened to different cultures, ways of life, beliefs, and experiences. 100 % worthwhile
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I loved that most all of my classes tried to integrate learning about Italian culture into the class even if it was a specific major class like "managing global supply chains". |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The CAPA home base in Florence was really helpful whenever we had questions or needed help |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I loved being able to live on my own in an apartment for the first time and it was pretty spacious and comfortable to live in! |
| * Food: |
Pizza, gelato, pasta... need I say more? |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The CAPA Florence program offers something called the GANZO project where I got to meet with a family every week and build a relationship with them. They taught me a lot about local Italian culture and I made a lifelong friendship with them. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I personally never needed to go to the doctors or hospital, but my roommate did and she said the process was similar to how it would be at home. She didn't have any trouble and CAPA helped her through the process. We did not need any vaccines specifically for this program. |
| * Safety: |
Like any city, you need to be aware of your surroundings. Pickpocketing / mugging are the most prevalent dangers in Florence, but I never experienced this myself and always felt safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
CAPA really helped me integrate into the Italian culture which is something I found very valuable |
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) |
I saved quite a bit of money before going abroad, so I wasn't too worried about spending in general. Your costs really depend on what you plan to do for activities. Normal expenses like food and transportation were comparable to back home. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | roughly 50 - 75 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | make/pack your own food!! going out all the time is what gets people the most. |
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 |
We were encouraged to try to speak italian, and I wanted to. Most everyone in Florence knew English if we got confused, though. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | French 3... so no Italian |
| 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? | don't be afraid to speak it - even if you are unsure! Italians will be grateful you are trying. |
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? |
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? | coming home and adjusting to home culture seems harder than adjusting to Italian culture! |
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 Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
