CEA Florence was amazing! So worth it! Past Review

By Steph C (Graphic Communication, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo) for

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was completely worth it. I met lifelong friends and got closer with the friends I already knew. The teachers and administration also became like friends. It is a great atmosphere and I also fell in love with Florence. I can't wait to come back.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	I loved every one of my classes! The teachers are all fun and try really hard to get to know you. They take you outside of the classroom to get first hand knowledge of what you are learning. The workload is not bad at all. They know that you are studying abroad and want to go out and explore and not spend a lot of time inside studying so they keep the workload light.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Our apartment was huge and really nice! It was furnished so I didn't have to spend extra money on bed sheets or kitchen appliances.
* Food:	The food in Italy is amazing! Some places I recommend going are Gusta Pizza, Gusta Panino, The Oil Shoppe, I Fratellini, ZaZa's, Quattro Leone, and Napoleone. Some fun bars are Slowly, The Lion's Fountain, Vikktoria, Red Garter, Twice, Naima, and Bebop. Also check out the apertivos. A lot of bars have apertivo from 7pm-10pm which is where if you buy a drink you get free food! Slowly, Kitsch, and Moyo have really good apertivo.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	Cinque Terre was probably my favorite trip we went to as a program. It was beautiful there! We also went to Bologna, Lucca, Rome, Siena, and Venice.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	I didn't hear of any problems with people being mugged or pick-pocketed in Florence. It;s a pretty safe place and I think everyone was really aware of zipping their purses shut, etc.
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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	Yes
Language acquisition improvement?	Most people speak English in Florence, but there were several times when I had to use my Italian to get by. You don't really realize it when you are in Italian class, but you actually learn a lot more than you think you do. Just being around people who speak a different language really forces you to learn things to be able to read signs or order something. Things like that became second nature.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Apartment
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Use the CEA program. I have heard of other students in other programs in Florence complaining about their school and how much work they have. Studying abroad was a lot of work beforehand, getting it all organized but it is completely worth it. If I could do it all again I would. I also wish I signed up to do a year.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	Iconography
Course Department:	Art History
Instructor:	Angela Oberer
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	This was my FAVORITE course! I didn't know exactly what it was when I signed up for it and neither did the other students but sign up for it! Angela is hilarious and really passionate about iconography. A lot of people in the program were wishing they took this class. Basically you learn about all the hidden symbols in art. You learn what certain animals, foods, colors, numbers represent and how to recognize certain people in paintings. There was barely any homework and it's something to impress your parents with when they come visit because you can explain lots of paintings to them if you go visit a museum.
Credit Transfer Issues: