Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The Florence University of the Arts offered a wide range of courses, making it easy to participate in subjects that would be applicable to PC's requirements. The workload in each of my classes was fair and the professors maintained a positive balance between assigned work and culture emersion. Because grades relied nearly entirely on your midterm and final grade, however, those two exams in the semester were inevitably stressful. The indepedence needed to keep up with readings and work beyond the classroom forced me to be more of a self-directed learner however it was easy to fall behind. I would have liked having more seminar style courses. The continuous lectures often times made completing entire reading assignments unnecessary, given the fact that a student could remain silent throughout an entire class, without having to proove whether or not he or she had read the material.

On-site administration of your program

The Program designed a very exciting and beneficial orientation program which allowed the students to immediately immerse themselves in the culture and find, what I found to be, immediate comfort. Program administrators provided us with a great amount of information regarding any possible problem that could potentially arise throughout our stay in Italy. They were constantly available for any issues or concerns and were helpful and acted quickly if there was ever a problem. They were concerned and interested about the experiences that each student in the program was having and all of my expectations were certainly met.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived on Via Martelli, a very spacious apartment with three other girls. The apartment was clean and there were directions and manuals regarding all of the utilities, appliances, etc. The location of the apartment was just across from the Duomo, providing us with a living area that was both safe, beautiful, and accomodating. <br /><br /> I loved living across from the Duomo. It was a fun area and we constantly had access to anything we could possibly need. Living in a building with American students was a great way to meet people and share our experiences together. I felt incredibly safe, especially when returning to my apartment at night. School was no more than a 15 minute walk and being near other students and friends around the city made for an easier adjustment right off the bat.

I can't say that I ever had a bad meal in Florence. I was disappointed when I learned that the Fairfield program did not offer a meal plan and certainly, budgeting meals could, at times, be stressful. The program gave us 4 meals throughout the entire semester but I think that more would be a better way to maintain closeness with students in the program. I never had a hard time finding what I was looking for and grocery shopping was never a hassle. My roommates and I initially split the entire grocery bill between the 4 of us but we soon found that it was easier that we all shop for ourselves individually, to ensure that we were ultimately getting the most out of the money that we were spending. All of the apartments in our building ate together at least once a week. Each room would contribute a meal, appetizer, or beverage, and it really made for a fun and inexpensive way to have a great meal.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

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

I had no previous exposure to Italian yet after the Beginning Level course with a very good professor, I found myself able to read, write, and understand the language even if it was on a simple level.

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans