An exploration of the history, culture and art of Italy Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The classes were not rigorous save for one of them. However, it was nice to not have to spend so much time on studies while abroad. Because of the more relaxed curriculum, I felt I was able to travel more and concentrate on exploring the country of Italy.

On-site administration of your program

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The apartments were adequate but the heating and hot water regularly stopped working and the whole apartment was dingy and unwelcoming.

Had to provide all of my food myself, which I loved.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

SRISA did not actively encourage cultural integration so the responsibility fell to the individual. In my case, I found it difficult to integrate with local Italian people but felt very integrated into the Italian lifestyle and culture.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I didn't have any health care issues and so am unable to comment about how effectively health care issues were dealt with.

I never felt unsafe in Florence, and never found myself in an unsafe situation. However, I did get pick-pocketed in Paris. I suggest always paying attention to your belongings and securing them in everyway possible.

I liked the program, but it was too small. That meant that if you didn't like your fellow classmates and roommates, you had no one to turn to. It was difficult to find and make Italian friends and given the opportunity, I would have stayed with a host family and gone to a school with Italian students as well as other international students. I didn't realize that it would be so difficult to connect in a meaningful way with local Italians and although I had many encounters with local people, making lasting friendships was much harder because our school was solely for American students. I would have appreciated an environment with a greater overlap of cultures and ethnic diversity.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

I definitely had to budget and make sure I wasn't overspending, but I managed to do everything I wanted to on the budget I was given including travel and going out to eat.

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

We had Italian classes but they only taught grammar and completely ignored vocabulary altogether. By the end of the semester I could conjugate in 7 different tenses, but couldn't even string a basic sentence together.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• The classes
• The teachers
• Art emphasis

• Integration with Italian students
• International students from a wider range of ethnicities
• Living arrangements