Florence An Experience of a Lifetime Past Review
By Nicole S (Undecided, Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
I learned that outside of the place that I grew up there is a whole world of different people, cultures, and personalities.
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. |
Aside from learning in your classes the biggest lesson you take from studying abroad is learning a new and different way of life and culture. The work load was just enough that it allowed you to still travel but stay busy with schoolwork. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The best advisers!! Much better than even the ones at my home school. If you need anything they will jump to help you and they actually know your name which is much different than ISU. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in a residential area which I was so glad because living in the tourist part of the city was like living in America. It was amazing to actually feeling like a resident of Florence and not just with a bunch of other students. The apartment was clean, a good size, and decorated very well. |
| * Food: |
Amazing! There is a panino shop on Via Sant'Egidio right after the two streets split that has really good paninis for only 2.50 euro! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The University was very small so many of the people became very close and it would be hard to walk down the street and not recognize someone from school. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt safe the entire time I was in Florence. This is because anytime that I walked alone it was during the day and anytime I went somewhere at night I made sure that I was always with people. I did have a class that ended at 8:30 and although it was dark I still felt pretty safe walking home, which was about a 25 minute walk. |
| 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) |
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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | I bought about 40 euros worth of groceries, and then I spent about 40 euros going out to dinner. I had to buy toiletries about every 2-3 weeks which would cost about 15 euros. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food and personal expenses alone add up, once you start traveling you money just seems to get spent so quickly and it is very hard to work on a budget. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Italian 101 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived in a residential area so if I went to any small stores around there or if I went to the outdoor/indoor market the didn't speak any English so I was able to practice my Italian. |
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
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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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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? | A student that wants to try and see new things is one that should study in Florence. |
