Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Italy: Independence Past Review

By (Undeclared, Middlebury College) for

ISA Study Abroad in Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, it taught me to be independent and I really liked the classes.

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.

They were basically the same.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They had great weekend programs and fantastic support.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

It is easy to be a vegetarian

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The field trip to Cinque Terre was great!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe in Florence.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

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)

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?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The weekend trips
* What could be improved?
  • The orientation

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Social Psychology

Course Department: Department of Psychology, course code: LA PY SP 300, credits: 3
Instructor: Valentina Nuzzo
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was interesting. Just a regular psychology class.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Beginning Italian Language
Course Department: Italian Language, course code: IS IT IB 101 Credit: 3
Instructor: Linda Fineschi
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: It was moderately challenging. It did make great use of the location. My teacher was very well prepared and knowledgable. I participated more, the class only had six students, it was a fantastic learning environment.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Landscape and architectural photography

Course Department: Department of Digital Media and the Arts, course code: DI PH LA 230, credits: 3
Instructor: Jacopo Santini
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I loved this class! The teacher was very inspiring and insightful. We also used Florence as a classroom. All the assignments had great meaning and were very interesting. I learned much more than expected in this class, in addition, to a new found love of photography.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Ethics of Globalization

Course Department: Philosophy Course Code: LA PS EG 340 Credit: 3
Instructor: Martino Traxler
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was one of the best courses I have ever taken. It was extremely interesting and although very reading intensive, totally worth it. The teacher was great, explained everything and the tests hard. I felt like I learned so much from this course.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to Art History

Course Department: Art History and Architecture Department, course code: LA AH AH 210 credits: 3
Instructor: Caterina Romei
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a great course, partly due to the location. We truly used the city as our classroom and field trips to various museums was very beneficial. The teacher was extremely knowledgable.
Credit Transfer Issues: