Unforgettable! Past Review
By A student (HISTORY., University of Florida) - abroad from 05/12/2013 to 06/21/2013 with
Florence University of The Arts: Florence - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
experiencing another culture. Also with so many other people from other countries there, I was exposed to people from all sorts of places around the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Work was pretty easy, but there was a lot to research being in Florence. Lots of opportunities and resources available to you. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Everyone was very nice and helpful. Loved the emails to keep us up to date. Very accessible. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Though I know some did not get an ideal place to live, I was lucky enough to live with wi-fi and right in the center of Florence. This made it easy to get to class and experience the city. The roommates I was paired with also was great, I would consider them my good friends now after this trip. It was also convenient having a full kitchen, restrooms per two individuals and only 2 to a room at a time. Also, having a washing machine made things easy. |
| * Food: |
Love Italian food! Florence University for the Arts also provides a place to get dinner if you are looking for something local and inexpensive. Their students make it and it is delicious. Just pay 5 euro for a drink and receive all the appetizers you can eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Met some very nice locals. It is easy to make new foreign friends. Also helped being able to live within the actual city of Florence. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
Doctors you could visit. Very helpful and provide insurance. |
| * Safety: |
Was pretty safe, except at night (like most cities). Should feel safe to explore city on own during the day, but make sure to go out with a group at night. Also, pay attention to your surroundings, being a study abroad student can make one a seemingly easy prey item. Also, even if a romantic experience with a local seems enticing, be aware that some may have bad intentions. i.e. many of the men try to lure in a women with "ciao bella". Just run at this point, good indication they are up to no good. |
| 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) |
With so much to do and so much to buy, it can be easy to fall off track. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Too much, but it was worth it. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Keep receipts and constantly check your bank. Also only take a certain amount of money with you when you go out (amount you plan to spend that day/week). keeping a large sum of money on you can be very tempting to spend it all at once. |
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 |
Wasn't very necessary since most in Italy knew a bit of english. Very easy to get by without Italian. |
| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None, took first course in Florence. |
| 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? | Interact with some of the locals and don't be afraid to use the language. Also, watching Italian movies with subtitles in English helps with understanding the fluency. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? | How easy it is to lose track of how much you are spending. Also that it is easy to get caught up in the magic of the city, remember that it will come to an end. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
