Best Experience of my Life! Past Review
By Brittany R (Organizational Communication and Studio Art, Capital University) - abroad from 08/30/2011 to 12/17/2011 with
Italy Study Abroad Reflections: Comprehensive Reviews of Past Programs
Studying abroad was hands-down the best experience of my life. I learned all about the various cultures in Europe and even about the culture in my own country from my roommates. I learned all about different mediums of art and was able to develop a whole new appreciation for my field. I traveled all throughout Europe during my semester in Florence and saw some of the most breathtaking sights I have ever seen. I still use these landscapes as inspiration for my work. This experience was worth so much more than any amount of money. It completely changed my life.
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Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My semester in Florence provided me with intense art classes. It was great to have a complete semester dedicated to advancing my education in the arts. My classes provided me with knowledge in mediums unavailable to me at my home university, first hand experience analyzing the famous pieces of Renaissance artists, and beautiful inspiration for my own works. The classes at LdM provided me with a completely unique educational experience in my field while still providing me with free time to learn from the culture surrounding me. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The program administration in Italy was great. Our adviser was extremely helpful with any questions we had no matter what the subject was. She was very approachable and very helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was probably the best apartment I will ever live in! It was in prime location next to the duomo and looked like it came straight out of an IKEA catalog. It was absolutely amazing! |
| * Food: |
The Italian food was GREAT!! It was a little difficult getting the hang of the grocery store though and finding food that I knew how to prepare. It all tasted good though it just took some getting used to. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Since Ldm is an international institution we were not exposed to much of the culture in our classes. It was kind of nice to have other non-Italian students in the classes though because we were all in it together and were able to make more friends to travel with. My people spoke English everywhere too so it was kind of hard to practice Italian but this also made things less stressful so it was kind of nice at the same time. If you want a more cultural experience you can find it in Florence just explore more of the outer parts of the city. Stay away from the touristy center and don't be afraid to venture off the beaten path (with friends of course). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any really big medical needs while I was abroad. I got a small cold and it was a little difficult finding the right medicine because they have different medications than in America. There were no vaccinations for this program before I left. |
| * Safety: |
There was only one situation where I felt uncomfortable my entire time abroad and it was completely my fault. Just be smart about when and with whom you go out with. Just common sense things like don't walk by yourself at night and don't trust strangers. For girls you would do good to just ignore the Italian men calling out to you. Just don't make eye contact with them and keep walking. Although they may be creepy if you ignore them nothing will really come of it. |
| 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) |
My budget plan is to just spend as little as possible whenever I can so this did not stand up too well once I got over there because there were so many things that I wanted to do. To me every experience I had was well worth the amount of money I spent for it so although I probably could have spent less I don't regret any of it. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | SAVE UP! You WILL spend money on travel and other life changing experiences. When you are over there you are going to want the freedom to take once in a life time trips and you won't want your money to hold you back. So save up before you go and look for cheap deals on flights and hostels. websites like hostelworld.com and kayak.com are great places to find cheap transportation and good accommodations. Don't let money hold you back. So just be smart about it and give yourself a generous starting point. |
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 |
It was encouraged by my Italian professor to use my Italian however it was more of a recommendation than a requirement. |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Find places where you can talk to Italians. When you go to a restaurant order in Italian. You will learn that language in the first few weeks. Also, practice with your roommates. Just start getting used to saying small phrases in Italian when you are around the house. |
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 wish I would have done more research about the countries I was going to visit. While I still enjoyed every one of them it would have been much more impacting if I would have known more about them before I went. I wish I would have had someone there to teach me how to plan cheap trips that allowed me to see all the things that I wanted to. I also wish someone would have told me to pace myself though. One gets exhausted quickly if they are traveling every weekend and by the end I didn't want to do anything by roam around my own city but didn't have time or the energy. |
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 Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
