Ciao Bella Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload in Florence was different than at Providence because for the most part, all we had were a midterm and a final, with a few papers in between. For many of our classes, this meant that we didn’t know how we were doing until after midterms. If you had a good professor or an easy grader, this wasn’t a big deal. And for the most part, classes were a lot easier than home. I had the opportunity to experience a great internship while studying abroad! This gave me the opportunity to attend fashion, cultural and food events in Florence. Through this internship, I met very interesting people, worked for a truly global fashionista, and attended events that I would have never otherwise had the opportunity to do so.

On-site administration of your program

Fairfield University has a great study abroad program and the reason I selected it was because of the structure of the program and its orientation program. In addition, the number of students who attend this from the U.S. gives you the feeling that Florence is our home away from home. There was always someone to go out to dinner with or travel with. The program directors are very accessible and always went out of their way to help us. The Fairfield Program intertwined American students with Italian FUA students for various cultural activities and evening events. This is one of the reasons why I really enjoyed the Fairfield Program.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Our apartment was amazing. It was literally down the street from the Duomo and completely modern and renovated. It was much nicer than most of the student apartments in Florence. But unlike other student apartments, we were the only students in this particular apartment building. For four girls it was great: we had two large bedrooms; a large common room with a couch and dining table; and a very modern kitchen with a small counter that we could eat at. There was downside to this particular apartment: Our neighbor liked to open the window and smoke next to our clothesline, and our clean laundry would reek of smoke (no, there are NO clothes dryers in Florence and yes everyone smokes everywhere.)

It’s Italy! The food was incredible! Whether you went out to eat at a restaurant, or cooked at home, the food was always fresh and delicious. At first, most of us ate pasta and gelato every day and couldn’t stop! We went to all types of restaurants at all price ranges; and the food was always great. We eventually learned to cook the Italian way; and found out that as long as good, fresh ingredients go into the food, it comes out great! Go to the Mercato Centrale- it’s a sight for the eyes and the most amazing smells and the most outstanding food!

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Living in the middle of a city like Florence helps to immediately immerse you into the culture. We ate, shopped and went out to all the same places as Italians do. Our program gave us access to Palazzi Student Life Services and we had many opportunities for attending cultural events in Florence and to travel. Our last trip was to the Alps and Munich during Springfest. It was amazing! Because Florence is a tourist town, there are many Americans vacationing there at all times. Because of this, most Italians in Florence speak English and I didn’t get to use my Italian as much as I expected or I had hoped. Even if I tried to speak in Italian at a store, most shopkeepers didn’t have the patience and once they figured out you were American, they would only answer you in English.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I felt very safe in Florence. But since you are in a city, you obviously have to be careful and be smart while going out. Most of the girls bought over the shoulder bags that zippered to protect their valuables from being stolen. Be especially watchful of your drinks when at bars (and the men)!

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Since there is no meal program in Florence, it is very expensive to live on a student’s budget. We usually shopped at the supermarket for food in our apartment; but unlike the U.S., you go on a daily basis. So, if we were too lazy or didn’t coordinate with each other, we’d end up going out to dinner. You need at least $200 a week for food, personal items and going out. If you travel a lot, it can cost another $500 each time you go away, between airfare, hostels and restaurants. (Note: even though you can catch Ryanair from Pisa, the airfare is usually is more expensive than from other major cities; and most of us stayed at a hostel in Pisa the night before so we could catch an 8:00am flight.)

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• the location
• the city of Florence itself
• the culture

• the caliber of the professors