Past Review
By Kylah M (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., The College of William and Mary) for
SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)
I look back on studying abroad everyday and wish I were still there. It changed me for the better, I figured out what I want to do with my life. I'm moving back to Europe after I graduate and I am thankful everyday for the decision I made to study in Italy. It was the best experience of my life, hands down.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Florence University of the Arts |
| The term and year this program took place: | Spring 2009 |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
My classes weren't as difficult as those I've taken at W&M, however, I learned so much more because I was taking art and art history classes in Italy and there was a very strong emphasis on getting out into the city, into museums, into churches, and really experiencing the art, architecture, culture, and history. Exams were much easier, but teachers and the school still demanded attendance and participation and things like that. |
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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? |
My apartment was incredibly beautiful, with a huge outdoor patio/garden/trees in the middle of the city. We lived in an Italian apartment building, with other Italians - not students. I was really impressed with where we lived. The location was perfect, and the size was huge. |
| * Food: |
It's Italy - the food is good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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? | There are many unexpected fees and things to pay. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
I loved my Italian class and wish I could have taken more hours of Italian while I was living there. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Take the program with SAI-it's really wonderful and I would recommend everything about the program except maybe a couple of the school field trips - don't sign up for them until you get to Italy and see who else is going. But I LOVED SAI, I thought it was a smoothly run program with lots of helpful people. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Bernini |
| Course Department: | Art History |
| Instructor: | Andrea Galdy |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | My art history teacher was from London but lived in Florence and she was incredibly knowledgeable and made me fall in love with art history. I had her for two different classes and in both we went walking to different sites for almost every class. She even took us to Rome for a field trip. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I had some transfer credit issues, I would suggest to other students to make sure of everything before leaving to go abroad. |
