What Can I Say? Get out there! Past Review
By A student (Finance and Financial Management Services., Arizona State University) - abroad from 08/28/2013 to 12/14/2013 with
ISA Study Abroad in Florence, Italy
Every last minute of it was worthwhile. I gained lots of new friends and went on tons of new adventures. I think about it every day. It changed my life. Can't wait to get back on another flight to somewhere new.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Was expecting the stereotypical study abroad education with little learning and resources, but instead I learned more in this semester than I probably ever have because the classes were small and the professors were interesting. I joined an art history class and I knew nothing about art, but by the end I gained a new appreciation. It was amazing being able to take what we learned in the classroom and see it right in front of you on class field trips. Sure, some people still had an easy schedule, but I can say that most people had fun and learned something new in their classes. The facilities at the school also blew my expectations away. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The ISA staff was like family and the excursions were great! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Couldn't have asked for a better location and most of the people in the program agreed. It was amazing having an apartment in Piazza Santo Spirito right above a Cafe. The apartment was spacious and had more than I expected. |
| * Food: |
I loved being able to buy my food at little shops sprawled about. There were also medium-sized grocery stores if you need that. The restaurants lived up to the expectations. All'Antico Vinaio was my favorite panini. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Everyone's apartments were sprawled throughout the city as well as the school facilities, so it is hard to say I wasn't integrated. The only "non-integration" was sticking to the study abroad bars and clubs, but those are part of the fun! |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I went to the doctor once and he didn't even charge me. The pharmacies are everywhere and you don't need prescriptions for everything. Bring your own face cleanser though as I couldn't find it anywhere. |
| * Safety: |
Though tons of people in the program had their phones stolen, it was mostly because they lost their focus. If you live safe you will be safe. I felt safer in the whole city of Florence than at my home university in the US. |
| 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) |
When I saw these ratings before I left I laughed and said I would be able to handle it because I'm great with money, but I still ended up spending an insane amount of money every week. Once you get there you get into this "It's a once in a lifetime experience" attitude and you forget about the money. It's really nice living like I'm rich for 3 1/2 months. The money will come back...the experiences will last forever. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Who knows? |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Eat at home. Don't miss flights. Get a zero-fee ATM card, Schwab was mine. |
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? | Beginner |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Talk to the Italians in Italian even if they speak in English. Make new friends in the piazzas at night. |
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? | I came in wondering what I was getting myself into, I came out wondering why everyone doesn't do it. I know now that the people putting bad reviews on these sites had such unfortunate circumstances that they would go so far as to right a review, but the positive reviews are the ones that have great meaning because the person liked it so much that they spent their time writing about it so that others can experience it. Any program in any place in the world can be the best or worst experience of your life. It is the perspective you go with that will determine which one it will be for you. |
