Florence: Best Decision I've Ever Made Past Review
By Colleen H (Undecided, Illinois State University) for
Lorenzo de' Medici – Florence
Studying abroad gave me a better outlook at life and really did help me grow. I realized how shelter my life had been previously and how dependent I was on my parents. It also helped me appreciate America in a way that I had never realized.
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. |
The work load is light, but classes are much longer. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our apartment was very small and didn't allow for much privacy. The kitchen was tiny and didn't have an oven which made cooking difficult at times. The building was full of other students which was funny and was in good proximity to nightlife. |
| * Food: |
The food is amazing, but try to cook yourself because you'll spend a lot of money eating out everyday. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
All my trips were amazing. I would recommend using a student travel company, because they make traveling so much easier. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I almost always felt safe while in Florence, but I would still recommend to try and walk with others when going anywhere. I got sick once while abroad and the doctor was a twenty five minute walk, which wasn't exactly something I wanted to do while sick. |
| 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? | It really varied from week to week, but everyone I know spent more than they expended. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You are going to spend more than you expected it just happens. Traveling is a lot more expensive than I thought it would be and that is where most of my money went towards. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Three years of Spanish in high school |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
There wasn't much need to use the language in Florence because almost everyone could already speak English. |
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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