Made me Fall in Love with Italy. Can't wait to go back. Past Review
By Kaylee W (ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE/LETTERS., Truman State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
Most definitely. I gained a lot of independence. I gained a greater knowledge of a culture other than my own. I gained practical skills in cooking and wine tasting. I gained cultural enrichment from the city of Florence. I definitely plan to go back for an extended period of time.
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. |
I was incredibly satisfied with my academic experience. The professor was incredibly knowledgeable in her field and also open to talk to the students. I learned so much from her that related to the area I studied, but I also learned a lot that was relevant to life in Florence. She made my experience wonderful. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff at LdM were so helpful. We had some problems with our apartment while we were there and they were quick to provide us with every kind of assistance they could. They also were always readily available to answer questions. I truly appreciated their willingness to help. I also appreciated all of the activities the school offered to students. They really did a great job of helping us access Florence and know how to better see everything the city had to offer. I was quite satisfied with my interactions with the people of LdM. The program size was wonderful too. I got to meet students from all over the United States, but I also was in a class of only ten. It was wonderful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our apartment was a good twenty minute walk from the school. At first this was quite frustrating because we got lost oftentimes trying to get places and trying to get back to our apartment. However, by the end of the four weeks I realized how well we had gotten to know the city center because of our apartment's location. We could navigate ourselves fairly confidently through most places in the center because of all the walking and exploring and being lost we had done. I felt very safe, but did get irritated with the constant noise outside our apartment. |
| * Food: |
The food was WONDERFUL. Taking a cooking class definitely helped me learn to appreciate it so much more. Vestri is a must for gelato. Also Il due Frattelini was one of my favorite places we ate at during our time in Florence. It is a little hole in the wall sandwich shop between Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza della Signoria. It's wonderful. Trattoria Anita is also delicious! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In Florence there are way too many to list! It is packed full of cultural experiences. Even walking down the street is a cultural experience. I especially loved the Uffizzi, the Ponte Vecchio, and the Duomo. Other highlights included Boboli gardens, Piazzale Michelangelo, and Fiesole |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Just a better idea of how expensive food can be. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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? | Have an open mind. Prepare but be open to changes in plans. Experience the culture fully. Don't get caught up in drinking and night life, it will distract from the culture all around you if it becomes too important. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italian Food and Culture: Pairing Food and Wine |
| Course Department: | NUH 245 |
| Instructor: | Renata Petracca |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was not challenging in the sense that everything I was learning was entirely new to me. I did not know anything about wine and its production so I definitely was challenged in that. The assessment of our knowledge based of the textbook was also challenging. Renata required us to really know about the wine culture of Italy; I really appreciated that. It definitely made use of the location. Renata took us all around the city on the first day of class, which was a wonderful help. She also was incredibly helpful in providing us a list of places to eat in Florence and with any advice or answers to questions we needed about the class or life in Florence throughout our four weeks of instruction. She was also very knowledgeable in her subject matter. I enjoyed this class and participated quite a bit, but I am typically an active participant at my home institution as well. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
