I loved Florence Past Review
By A student (Middlebury College) - abroad from 02/06/2017 to 06/29/2018 with
Middlebury Schools Abroad: Middlebury in Florence
So worthwile, learned so much about how to live/navigate on my own.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The only comment I have is in terms of the language pledge, as the varying levels (including intermediate and beginning italian students) made it very difficult to uphold the language pledge as it felt exclusionary. Overall, it created a weird atmosphere and I think this should be re-evaluated in terms of requiring at least a basic understanding of italian before enrolling in the program. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Although the Middlebury team did not find housing for me, I really liked the arrangements I found on my own. |
| * Food: |
|
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I liked the idea of the language exchange, but thought it was poorly executed and felt superficial. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would because I absolutely LOVED Florence and my time there, but I would like to get a more focused ability to learn italian in a city that does not have such a tourist presence (for example, I visited Turin and absolutely loved it) |
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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75/100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Set a budget! Shop in grocery stores outside of the city center. |
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 |
See earlier comment on the varying levels of proficiency in the Florence program. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 300 |
| 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? | do an internship, live with italians. |
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? |
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? | The language pledge with american friends will be hard to uphold. |
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 Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Migrant Literature of Italy |
| Course Department: | Literature |
| Instructor: | Pinzi |
| Instruction Language: | Italian |
| Comments: | I really liked this and found it very interesting. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | None. |
