"Florence: Experience of a Lifetime" Past Review
By Lauren G (Special Education, Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
YES!!! I gained confidence and learned a lot about traveling, Europe, and culture. I will definitely travel more in the future. I am going to look into going to teach English in Africa soon.
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 extremely disappointed with the academics. The math course was a complete disaster. The teacher did not know math or English. I had one decent class the other four were terrible. Teachers were unhelpful, lectures were boring, assignments and expectations were very unclear. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
No one did anything about my math class even though I went to all the leaders and administrators available to me several times |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My host family was very kind and seemed to care about my enjoyment. They brought me on a nice day trip. The host mom made time to talk to me. The food was very good. Only negative was the house was very dirty and had many bugs. |
| * Food: |
Host mom's cooking was great and any restaurant I found in my travel guide was great. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I became friends with four great girls from Mexico. I don't drink a lot so I avoided most of the night life. I mostly traveled and enjoyed Florence in my free time. I also did a school club which was fun. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Very safe and comfortable. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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 am not sure |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I did not realize how much more expensive everyday items would be in Florence. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
The only good thing about the language program was the tutoring offered. |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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? | I recommend LdM to students who are interested in traveling, having fun, and learning a new culture. I do not recommend LdM to students who value their education or grades. I recommend a host family! |
