Best Semester in Florence April 30, 2024
By A student (Economics, Cornell University) - abroad from 01/17/2024 to 05/04/2024 with
CET Florence
I loved my semester abroad. I wish I could do it all again. I made great friends and got to know Florence as a city really well.
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. |
The classes were really interesting and included many site visits to museums, markets, and churches throughout Florence. Everyone took Italian language, and there were electives such as food, wines, art, history, and leadership. The classes were the appropriate level of difficulty for a study abroad program - very manageable. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Can't really comment because I never met with advising, but they were located in the academic buildings where classes were held so I assume they were accessible enough |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Location was excellent in the center of Florence! Walking distance (10-15 minutes) to class, the train station, and just steps away from hundreds of restaurants, shops, and bars (which did make it noisy at times). The quality of the apartments varied a lot between people I knew. Mine wasn't the best quality, but it was good enough for the semester. A cleaner came once a week, and we had a washer (but not a drier) in the apartment. |
| * Food: |
Italian food is amazing. There are hundreds of restaurants and sandwich shops to try while you're here, and all very reasonably priced. You may get tired of the pasta and bread every day, and other cuisines (such as Mexican) are not very good here. Take advantage of weekend traveling to change your cuisine. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
This was a program for Americans, so we spent all of our time with other Americans. Personally, I liked it this way because it felt more familiar, but if you're looking for a full immersion, this is not it. You could choose to stay with a host family for more cultural immersion, but I think that would isolate you from becoming close with your peers. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I had to visit the doctor twice, and it was easy enough. You text a representative from the International Health center of Florence, and they usually fit you in for an appointment either same or next day. They give you a taxi voucher to get to the appointment. The only complaint is the doctors don't speak English, so I was given a translator. Pharmacies are on every other street corner around Florence. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe while in Florence. It's a very touristy city with lots of Americans, so I felt totally fine walking around by myself. The only complaint is that the Italian men can be annoying and cat call, but it's much better here than in Rome. |
| 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) |
Groceries were cheap - maybe about $50 per week. It was the weekend traveling, eating out, and drinking that added up. You'd have to not be very social to only spend $200 per week. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 500 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | During the week, cook breakfasts and lunches. Going out adds up. |
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 never had to speak Italian outside of our Italian language class. Not complaining because I preferred it that way. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | n/a I took beginners Italian here |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Order food in Italian, try and chat with locals. |
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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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? | n/a |
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 UrbaniteA 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. |
