Lots of fun and full of adventure! Past Review
By A student (Marketing., Bentley University) - abroad from 05/31/2013 to 06/27/2013 with
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
I discovered the culture of a part of Europe I had not yet visited. It was great learning of the similarities and differences in both the language and the culture to other parts of Europe. Definitely worthwhile. There is so much rich history behind Italy.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Not well organized. Locations of meetings kept changing our advisor would only respond to e-mails several days later. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great location and very spacious apartment. |
| * Food: |
Italian food is amazing. Great quality and taste. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Florence is full of tourists. Everybody spoke english; so it took more effort to learn Italian. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Florence felt as safe as Boston, if not safer. |
| 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) |
It is relatively easy to keep costs low if you shop for groceries and make your own food. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $400 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy groceries instead of going out to eat, learn to negotiate deals with sellers, and go on trips through programs and groups rather than on your own (group rates are cheaper). Among other companies, Bus2alps offers great prices for weekend and day trips. |
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 |
Because Florence is such a tourist attraction, almost everybody speaks English. |
| 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? | When shopping, practice speaking Italian with sellers. They are usually very friendly and want to help you with the language. |
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? | 0 |
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? | It is much harder to assimilate and befriend new people when you are living and spending all your time with friends from your home school. I would suggest living others or at least taking separate classes than your friends. |
