La Bella Vita: Travels, Good Food, and Incredible Renaissance Beauty Past Review
By A student (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Fairfield University) - abroad from 01/27/2014 to 05/17/2014 with
Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy
Studying abroad in Florence changed me. I'm more confident, more relaxed, and more cultured.
Review Photos
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was right on Via Martelli. I could see Florence's Duomo from my bedroom window. The location couldn't be better. |
| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
While studying abroad, I participated in the Italian Family Club. I was matched with a local family in Florence and every week, they invited me to their home for a home cooked meal. The three children, all boys, were always full of energy. While the parents speak fantastic English, the boys only knew Italian - I needed to learn the language to talk to the boys. It was a fun learning experience as I learned Italian and they learned English! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
I spent about 15 euros on groceries each week. It's easy if you cook your own meals! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 15-30 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook your own meals, bring medicine from home, and haggle at the markets! |
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 |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| 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? | Intermediate Latin |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice at the grocery store, the cafes, and with professors. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| 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? |
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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? | The Nutella tastes better in Italy then in the United States. So bring some home!! |
