Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fun & Outside of comfort zone Past Review

By (Rochester Institute of Technology) - abroad from 06/27/2016 to 08/05/2016 with

SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned so much - the culture, the people, the food, the lifestyle I could go on. I really did learn a lot. We kept incredibly busy and living in a foreign country was incredibly stressful which was a bit much for me at times. It was so worthwhile. I'm glad I pushed myself to my limits.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? None

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* 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

SAI was an awesome program. I heard some horror stories about other programs that my roommates had friends in. The staff really cared about us and we took advantage of the services they offered. Friendly and located conveniently close to our academic buildings.

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? $250
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Buy from markets and make your own food. It's incredibly difficult to do and often times you won't want to stay in, but it eases the pressure on your wallet.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? 0

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Friendly Staff
  • Office location
  • Housing
* What could be improved?
  • Nothing
  • ..
  • ....
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I wish I knew more about Italy itself. The culture of the people wasn't at all what I was expecting. I wish I knew more about trains and transportation. I wish that I knew how easy the classes were going to be. I wish I knew about the attendance policies. I also wish I knew how much I'd be freakin walking. I also wish I knew what to pack because that was super difficult.