Italy Stole My Heart Past Review
By Katherine P (International Business., Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
It is extremely eye opening and you learn about yourself and what your goals for the future are. I met great people, not only from the program but through all my travels!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was manageable and my professors were very helpful and nice. The educational system consists of critical thinking and more busy work than in America. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The printing center was quite difficult to reach and had bad hours. They could use more help for the amount of students that come there. The program size was good and I liked that there were not many students in each class; it made it easier to participate and learn. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Very close to the campus and wonderful location at the piazza del duomo. Apartment was very spacious and well organized. They provided most things such as sheets, towels, kitchenware, etc. |
| * Food: |
Go outside the city for more authentic and better priced restaurants. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Many clubs and cultural events such as dinners. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Had no problems with safety. I had a cold a few times so that was a prevalent health issue. |
| 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? | 150 Euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | First month is when I spent the most and after that I learned to better budge my money. |
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? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
Try and talk to locals in Italian. Even when it is something as simple as ordering a coffee or panini. |
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? | Anyone would benefit from a study abroad program! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Elementary Italian 1 |
| Course Department: | ITL 101 |
| Instructor: | Stefania Lazzerini |
| Instruction Language: | Italian |
| Comments: | Stefania was extremely kind and helpful with learning Italian. She challenged us to learn as much as possible and was well-prepared as well as efficient. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
