Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

A Semester in Florence Past Review

By (Marketing., Providence College) for

Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
The experience was absolutely worthwhile. I learned so much from my semester abroad and I have so many memories from my time in Europe.

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.

The workload for this program was significantly lighter than at Providence College - yet this is to be expected for a study abroad program. Not having to spend hours sitting doing coursework gives you the opportunity to experience the culture which is, in my opinion, much more important and informative than completing coursework.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Fairfield had an office right next to school that you could contact with any problems

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I had an excellent apartment that was right in the center of Piazza Santa Croce. I had a 1 minute walk to most of my classes and a 10 minute walk to the Duomo, All of my friends in this program were very satisfied with their housing. Our apartment was huge and very comfortable with a kitchen and washing machine.

* Food:

It's hard to get bad food in Italy - but none of the food is included in the program.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

We all went to a Fiorentina Soccer game for free with our program

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Never walk alone, but in general I felt very very safe in Florence and very safe in my apartment.

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Plan out travel weekends in advance. This way you can book airfares and budget out how much money you will have afterwards. Also, try to stay with friends who may be studying in other countries - this will save you a ton of money while traveling.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
Language acquisition improvement?

These classes are very helpful in teaching you basic sayings to help you get by in day-to-day Italian conversation.

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?
  • I loved my living arrangements.
* What could be improved?
  • There should be more of an effort to make the students from different schools mingle more and become friends. All the PC kids stayed friends with each other and all of the kids from other schools stayed friends with each other for the most part.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I loved this program and had a blast in Florence. Florence is very small - studying there I felt I was able to explore the entire city by foot. There is a lot to see and an active nightlife but there is not much to do in terms of touristy things besides walking through museums.