Florence: Time of My Life Past Review
By Stacey K (N/A, Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
Absolutely.
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. |
I took mainly cultural classes like cooking and wine which was great because it helped me immerse myself into the culture more. I also took a Palaces of Florence class where I learned about the history of the city. I would say overall the teaching methods were great and I learned a lot throughout the semester. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Ambra was our adviser and was extremely helpful the entire time. The only process that was very frustrating and slow was the permit of stay. They didn't do very well explaining what we had to do for it and it was a very long and drawn out process. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Great new apartment. Always felt safe and was a good location to night-life and only about a 10 minute walk to class. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Loved the field trips provided by the school to Capri, Sorrento and Pompeii and Tuscany. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Don't let Italians in who say they come to check your water or gas..they can easily be someone who wants to steal your things. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Its very expensive but worth the money if you can get a little extra from loans etc. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Almost everyone spoke English. It helped to know the basics but knowing the language was definitely not needed. I went into the program knowing absolutely no Italian and I felt comfortable the entire semester. |
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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