A Magnificent Stay In Firenze Past Review
By Anne F (PSYCHOLOGY., Providence College) for
Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy
The experience was way more than worthwhile. I met some amazing people and got to really see and know Italy as well as a few other places in Europe. I learned a lot about myself and came back home with new outlooks and perspectives.
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 found the grading system to be extremely fair and similar to what I'm used to at Providence College. In addition to the midterm and final exams, most classes had quizzes or papers as well as an emphasis on class attendance and participation. Like I said before, sometimes I felt that professors were not as educated in the area of the course and they had been somewhat thrown into teaching them. Most, however, were very knowledgeable and helpful with material. I think I was a bit shocked at first by those few who were not as knowledgeable because I'm used to very well educated and successful professors at PC. Although the academics in my program were much lighter in terms of expectations and work load, I felt it was perfect for my study abroad experience because it allowed me to spend more time getting to know the city of Florence, meeting new friends from around the United States, and travel around Europe. Also, it was a bit of a nice break, especially after a very difficult fall semester and right before a challenging senior year! |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * 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) |
|
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $200 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
|
| Language acquisition improvement? |
My language professor was amazingly helpful and a great resource throughout the semester. Also, we were required to participate in a program called Conversation Exchange, in which we met up with local students who study language and spend an hour talking in both English and Italian. I used Italian everyday, but not all day everyday. This is because I lived with all American students and we spoke English. Also, my courses were all in English. But, I did speak Italian in my Italian classes, with local Italian students, and stores, restaurants, etc. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| 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? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew more about the classes I would be taking (better course descriptions). |
