Florence, Italy: Some of the best days of my life in an unforgettable city. Past Review
By Kimberlee H (Communication and Media Studies., Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
I would do it again in a heart beat. If I do graduate school I will most likely go abroad again.
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. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I feel like there should be someone in the country to help students with things that happen- working with only their university advisors was stressful at times. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
LOVED my apartment- it was so close to the nightlife of Florence and we were right in the city center. Too bad they're not renting it anymore... :( |
| * Food: |
I LOVE ITALIAN FOOD. And love it even more after being there for four months- sadly nothing compares here anymore. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I made great friends and had great experiences the entire time. Like I said earlier- attitude is everything. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I never felt unsafe in Florence- there are always police officers walking around and never had anything happen. That's not to say you should get wasted and stumble around like an idiot, just be smart. |
| 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? | Depending on how often we went out to eat and how much we were willing to spend on alcohol it varied from week to week. It also depended on where we traveled to as well as how much we spent on travel. So I spent 800 one week and less than 100 the next. If you plan ahead and get a good deal on travel you can spend very little money traveling. Also shopping is a killer (ladies be warned) but you can find side vendors that have some good grabs. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Water is not free in restaurants. You can ask for tap water but more often than not you will pay for bottled water if you want it. Also I wish someone would have told me to take out a lot of money at a time to reduce the amount of ATM fees. Don't carry it around though- I never got pick pocketed but they do target tourist-looking people and if you're staring at the David you may not be aware someone's in your pocket. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Direct Enrollment |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | If you're just considering study abroad- do it. There's nothing like it and you will LOVE your life if you do. If you don't think you can fit it in your program talk to your advisor and make it happen. You won't regret it. |
