Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

italy slower than the states but thrilling! Past Review

By (International Business., Illinois State University) for

Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
i learned how to be more laid back and it helped me to change my perspective. i loved italy.

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.

the tests were all essays, too many projects and tests at the end when it would have been nice to get to spend the lats of our time traveling or enjoying the city. also teachers were not forward with our grades because they felt comments to be more important than the actual letter grade.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

my adviser was awesome but the dean of students made a friend of mine cry because of her learning disability

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

i lived in the apartment at piazza del duomo and it was amazing i could not have asked for a better living situation. i was in the center of everything and only had a 5 min walk to classes or nightlife.

* Food:

make as much food at home as you can

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

i loved the amalfi coast and multipulciano.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

i felt the city was very safe, people who lost their wallets and things had it coming, by being wasted in the clubs

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? about 60 on food and 40 on going out
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? unanticipated costs deffinaitly came up so alot yourself extra momney

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? itallian 116/ intermediate 2
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

i felt i mostly spoke with Americans because i was one of the few people who came Italy able to speak Italian. i would practice my Italian with the kids in my Italian class and other Italian locals i made friends with.

Direct Enrollment/Exchange

* Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? Direct Enrollment

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • the country
  • food
  • trips
* What could be improved?
  • classes
  • costs
  • textbooks
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? i had a great time but its classes are more for art students than business students

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

cross cultural communication in the workplace
Course Department:
Instructor: kadie edie
Instruction Language: english
Comments: we went on valid field trips which i found useful but the class i felt was only about hofstede which was a review for me.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

human resource management
Course Department:
Instructor: alessandro lorenzelli
Instruction Language: italian the english
Comments: i really enjoyed this course, our professor was a business professional so his teachings were valid to our class and did a great job of teaching the class
Credit Transfer Issues: