Florence: Great Semester Abroad Past Review
By Allyssa M (Elementary Education, Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
I learned a lot about other cultures, other lands and different ways of life. I enjoyed every single one of the trips I took and every day I spent in Florence.
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. |
The workload was less, the grading system was the same, along with teaching methods. As I mentioned above, there were not many things graded, just 2 big tests and maybe 2 papers. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I think they informed us very well about the country, the way of life, etc. I learned a lot and adapted fairly well. The program was not too big so each student got the necessary attention from faculty members. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Go to the crowded places if they are not crowded by tourists. Look on the unbeaten path. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Included field trips were great..not places I would have gone on my own so I'm glad I went through this. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Fairly safe - as long as you are aware. Gypsy's are there just keep them at a distance. |
| 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? | Spend your money on the native food maybe once or twice a week. Buy things from the $1 store like toilet paper etc. Don;t buy too many souvenirs...you won't be able to bring it all home and its a waste of 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 |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Interact with natives who speak the language everyday. |
| 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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