Awesome Past Review
By A student (Arts Technology, Illinois State University) - abroad from 08/27/2012 to 12/15/2012 with
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
I learned so much it is hard to put into words. The main thing is that you don't realize how much you miss it until you have left.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
I found that the courses were managable but kept me busy with school work and studying. Some of the courses such as NUH classes, don't give a lot of homework but the exams are detailed and require a lot of studying. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The advisors were very helpful and resourceful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The appartment was small but it fit the needs of my room-mates and I well. |
| * Food: |
Though I cooked at home most of the time I enjoyed the cuisine on occasions when I went out to eat. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
In the center of Florence there is alot of tourism and not a lot of italian culture. I felt like I got more cultural experience the farther away from the city center I got. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any health problems other than the common cold so I never used the health care. |
| * Safety: |
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| 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? | I probably spent about 50-75 euro on groceries every week. I didn't keep weekly track though. |
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 |
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| 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? | none |
| 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? | Don't worry about language much. If you are eager to use what you learn then I would go to a smaller town such as Lucca. |
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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| 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? | I wish I knew that Florence was so touristic. I expected to see a lot of people in the summer but it never really seemed to die down much. |
