Living like an Italian Past Review
By Andrea J (Illinois State University) - abroad from 09/02/2013 to 12/14/2012 with
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
I learned more about the Italian culture than I could have ever learned from reading a book for watching a film. I learned to be more tolerant of tourists and became more independent.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The schoolwork was challenging, essay tests were a new experience and difficult, the school did not have any online system such as blackboard which would have been very helpful, but overall I felt that I got an in depth education and learned a lot. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Illinois State University study abroad program was very helpful before and during the program. The staff were very helpful with answering questions and helping pick classes. The orientation before departure was great, it helped answer a lot of questions I had about the program and the country. After the program, the staff were not very helpful in regards to helping us receive our grades, it took almost two months which caused a lot of setbacks for me personally. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was great!! It was right in the heart of the city, and the view from my windows was the beautiful Duomo. The apartment was bigger than I expected, which was a great bonus. The apartment was well equipped with appliances, dishes, towels, and sheets which was wonderful. Our maintenance man was very friendly, and always willing to come out and help us the same day we called. |
| * Food: |
I only ate at the program's dining center once, but the sandwich I had was great! The staff was friendly and helpful and the prices were inexpensive. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I had a hard time integrating into the culture mainly because Italians could tell if you were American very easily and would speak to your in English, which was nice, but I felt I didn't experience the Italian culture as much as I had hoped to. Also, many things in Florence had been "Americanized" so that also added to my lack of a cultural experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not experience any healthcare problems while abroad. |
| * Safety: |
In Florence I always felt safe, even walking around at night. There are so many lights in the streets and people around that I never felt like there was a potential for danger. I had heard about pick pocketers, but I never experienced any problems of my possessions being stolen. |
| 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) |
2.5. If you were trying to live on a budget it was easy to do. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around 50 Euro. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you are looking to save money, buy your own groceries instead of going out to eat every night. Always buy generic foods, they are usually cheaper and just as good as brand names, and look for items the grocery stores have on sale. If you are planning to travel, book your transportation and hostels as early as you can, you can save a lot of money. Look for discount airlines, you won't have a luxurious experience, but they are usually good and will get you where you need to go for much less money. Don't take taxi's, the public transpiration is often really great and inexpensive. If you are buying from a market try and bargain. The sales people often will give you a high price but it is typical to haggle. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
We had an Italian language course, and the teachers often encouraged us to try and use the language, even if we weren't that great at it. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | German 4 in high school. 5 years total. |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Try and use it outside of the classroom with native speakers. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
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? | Take the most comfortable shoes that you possibly can. Comfort beats, style. Traveling around with shoes that hurt your feet is a terrible situation to be in. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
