Nothing I expected it to be Past Review
By Kathryn L (Psychology Pre-Mae, Truman State University) - abroad from 01/30/2013 to 05/18/2013 with
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
It is hard to say what you have learned until you go home, which I won't be doing for 2 more weeks. I learned how to plan and travel better than I had known. I realized that the people are what make most of an experience. Studying abroad is worthwhile, but if you want to delve into the culture, it will be very very hard to do in Florence.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The school was fantastic. The teachers were phenomenal and passionate about what they taught. Field trips to wineries, pizzerias, and museums made the lessons even more enriching. Coming from a more challenging school, the academic rigor was not there. I still learned a lot and enjoyed such a liberal education (I took the History of Prostitution), but was not academically challenged. You get a study guide for every midterm and final. Library was not so resourceful, the few times I did use it. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The advising office was not too great, but not awful. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment had a perfect central location that was close to the school buildings, but 2 of my 3 roommates were horrible. My only complaint is that they should have paired roommates better. The landlord was nice and responded in a very timely manner to problems such as clogged drains and burnt out lights. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Florence is an extremely touristy town. Finding locals is not only difficult, but they are not always so eager to speak to foreigners. I spent spring break with my Dutch roommate's family and feel like I learned more about Dutch culture in the 5 days with them than I have about Italian culture over my 4 month stay here. I was very disappointed by this fact. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
Florence is a very safe city. Always be aware and you will be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
Finances
|
* 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) |
Living in the center of any city is expensive. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75 euros |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Research the cheapest way to travel and shop at the fresh food market. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
The teachers always encouraged you to speak in Italian when you went out of the classroom. Classes were taught in English though. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate I |
| 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? | If you want to learn the language, don't come to Florence. Unless you live with an Italian family, you will always speak English outside of your 3 credit Italian class. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I had realized the demographic of a majority of the students (freshmen and sophomores from the Northeast United States) and the fact that I would learn basically nothing about Italian culture. You live in an American bubble if you go to Lorenzo de Medici in Florence. |
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.' |
