Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fun Italian Vacation with some educational classes and experiences. September 01, 2024

By (Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Wellesley College) - abroad from 05/13/2024 to 06/22/2024 with

CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Because this was a summer course, I appreciated having more time to explore and not too much focus on the school work. But had this been a whole semester, I would have been more disappointed with the lack of structure. I did learn a lot about Italy and its culture and found the class field trips to be very meaningful.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Not very difficult academically with few assignments and not much to work on outside of class.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

No food was provided, which would have been nice for the first day or so.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Especially since my apartment was outside of the main city area and was in a local residential apartment building.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have any health problems, but felt like if there was an issue I was on my own to get help and figure it out.

* Safety:

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? $250
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Cook most of your meals rather than eating out, and plan trips and excursions in advanced.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Field Trips
  • Long weekends
* What could be improved?
  • Support system (felt very individual like we were on our own)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish that I had found some people who were also going on this program because it was actually very hard to make friends and meet others in the program. Luckily I was able to become friends with my roomates but they also struggled to make other friends.

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 Outright Urbanite
A social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country.