Florence: La Citta Bella Past Review
By Lisa T (Biopsychology, Tufts University) for
New York University: Florence - NYU in Florence
My study abroad experience was absolutely worthwhile. It hasn't impacted my academic plans, but it did help me to feel more confident in my own abilities to travel and live alone, and it gave me the ability to see some fantastically, breathtakingly beautiful sites.
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. |
Overall I thought the academic experience was fairly easy, but that this fit very well with the rest of our activities and allowed us to deal with the stress of living abroad. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The NYU staff on-site was generally very good. Overall, staff were very knowledgeable and helpful. The only thing that really became a problem was the lack of communication from NYU when we were snowed in and stranded during travel at the end of the semester. NYU made no attempt to ascertain where we were or how many of us were still stuck at the airport, and made going back to our housing very difficult instead of opening it for us so we didn't have to sleep in airports. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Our location was excellent, right between the Duomo and P. San Marco; however, living with 10 other people was somewhat difficult, and arrangements with fewer people would have been desirable. |
| * Food: |
In general, restaurants in centro tend to be touristy and extremely expensive, especially in P. della Reppublica. Smaller restaurants tend to be more worthwhile, and it's also fun to get ingredients daily at a small grocery store and make meals with housemates. For future students: the Diner provides a fun and tasty approximation of an American meal, if you're feeling homesick, and the best gelatto can be found on the other side of the Trinity Bridge -- two scoops for a euro! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Field trips arranged were great, especially to Lucca, but I didn't have great social experiences due to the differences between Tufts and NYU college culture. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
I never had problems with health or safety. To future students, I would say: Florence can be dangerous, and the most important thing is not to go anywhere alone, and to try not to be out in the small hours of the morning when very few other people are around. If you pay attention to your surroundings, you should be fine. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
|
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) |
|
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Food can get fairly expensive very quickly. Travel is cheap, but budgeting money to spend during trips on food, souvenirs, tickets, etc., can be tricky. |
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? | N/A |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
We could practice Italian with our professors and locals. We needed to know some Italian for everyday interaction, but because Florence is a tourist city is also possible to get by without it, as most people spoke at least a few words of English. |
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 |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Let's see, words of wisdom: always be aware of where you are. Study abroad may seem long while you're in it, but it's actually incredibly short, so make sure you get as much as you can out of being in such an ancient, gorgeous city. Visit the Duomo often, and climb it at least twice. Go to San Miniato; it's a trek, but the view is worth it. Travel often; go to Capri and Pompeii and Naples, as well as Rome. Italy is full of rich beauty and culture, so take advantage of it. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Postmodern Fiction |
| Course Department: | English |
| Instructor: | Barette |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | I adored this course. The professor was fantastic, and the readings were unfailingly interesting and relevant. I found the information fascinating and was introduced to several of my new favorite books. Highly recommended. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I am in the process of transferring credit back to Tufts. To other students: GET YOUR COURSES APPROVED BEFORE YOU LEAVE. It's a major pain to deal with once you are abroad, and once you get back the flood of work also makes it difficult to deal with. Check with your departments and get your courses cleared for transfer ahead of time. |
