I Want to Move to Florence Forever! Past Review

By Shana K (Studio Arts, Providence College) for

Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was beyond worthwhile, words cannot describe how much I loved being in Florence and I tell everyone I know that I wish they could experience everything that I did while abroad.

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.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?
* Food:	Plenty of places to get food and you can find everything you need and it is very good and convenient.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	The Italians had so many cultural events while I was there and it is so fun to go to all of them and usually the school paper told us about them and when they were and they were my favorite days and nights.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?
* Safety:	The only thing you have to look out for is pick pocketing, I only got my cell phone taken one time but just be careful with that. Other than that, I felt completely safe there all the time.
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?	Try not to spend a lot of money on food and book trips very early to other countries because the flights are cheaper and available when you want to leave and return!

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?	Most people spoke English, but really liked when we tried to speak Italian.

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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Being an Art student was a huge plus going to Florence and I am also Italian so I just loved all the Italians and their way of life there. You have so much independence and freedom here and meet so many new people and learn so much about yourself on this program. It has really changed my life and I want to seriously look into living in Florence after graduation now and working there.