Middlebury Abroad in Florence. June 29, 2022

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Professors were great, work is particularly demanding though. If your expecting an experience where you just eat pasta and travel all the time might want to reconsider. Sure, you will have plenty opportunity to travel and explore but often at the expense of your GPA. The rigor is comparable to that of the middlebury campus in vermont, just with more Italian so keep that in mind when applying. Not a lot of flexibility with the advanced track, but with through a rigorous email and debate process it is possible. If you manage your work well you will be fine.

On-site administration of your program

Administration was kind and a great shoulder to lean on with any and all issues. Felt comfortable with the staff and all my many personal issues were taken care of. Some people had mixed reviews, just be patient and kind and you will be fine.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

Host mom Rita was an Absolute Angel . Beautiful home, amazing food, excellent support system. Only speaks Italian but when in Rome, or in this case Florence, that was a luxury.

Host mom took care to hand craft every meal with fresh, local, and organic ingredients, and most importantly love. Rarely had the same dish twice but all were winners in my humble opinion. If your lodging is not a homestay, you’re in luck: it’s Florence! No meal was a bad meal but would recommend eating outside of the touristy areas.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The local eateries were great experiences to have local exchanges in the language, the course that a did take at the host university was a culture shock to my private liberal arts bubble in a good way, and my host mom was the reigning queen of a traditional esperienza Fiorentina.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Safe to say that health care is not readily available. Regardless of the fact that this experience took place during COVID, there is no excuse for the lack of available resources and offices. Spent 5 hours touring the city for a general health physician who would see me, even after scheduling two appointments and desperately putting down a deposit I had no luck. Keep in mind this was after already registering for three telehealth appointments; two of which never showed up, another could not serve my needs. Fortunately enough it was not a grace illness. However, I did have a friend who had to take a forty minute bus during class for a serious condition. My advice: don’t get sick abroad.

Although petty theft and crime are possible with all international travel, never once felt threatened by any immediate danger. That being said, be aware of cat calling.**

I will be doing two middlebury abroad programs in the future: one in Puerto Rico and one in Brazil. I am an avid language student and I would like the full languages abroad experience.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

Depending on the week and meal plan you have it can get a little dicey. Document the first week or two of your expenses then make a mental note of what you can work on and where you can cut back so you can save more money for travel and God forbid last minute health expenses. A lot of the students are privileged with money access though, don’t be discouraged. You can have a fun time even on a budget!

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

Highly encouraged.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• HOST MOM!!
• The Italian Language
• Tuscan Terrain, historic city, and general panorama

• Academic track
• Healthcare system
• Description of the program features: more elaborative.