The Best Four Months of My Life Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I took 5 classes while abroad and I thoroughly enjoyed each one. I took a digital marketing and international marketing class and I loved the way the classes were designed. We presented to local business owners and created a marketing plan to improve international visibility. We also created a digital presence for a company we created by creating a website, Instagram, and social media plan. I also took a psychology course which taught about the differences of American society to the Italian society. We used our own experiences to understand why Italians live how they do. I took a cultural class about the Italian culture and history. It was very interesting to learn about the history of the city I was living in. My last class I took was a yoga class were each week we learned different yoga positions and the benefits. One week, we attended an actual yoga studio taught in all Italian and with the Italian locals.

On-site administration of your program

The SAI staff was extremely helpful and kind. They knew how to answer every question I had and genuinely wanted to help. SAI provides weekly cooking classes, day trips, book making, and some weekend trips where the staff attends and leads. They were all so nice and excited to be with us along for the trip too. They helped me when my wallet was stolen and wanted to make sure I had everything I needed to get a new passport and debit card.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I LOVED my apartment. It was right by Santa Croce so it was prime location to restaurants, the school, grocery stores, and practically anything. It was beautiful inside since it had just been redecorated. The kitchen had everything we needed. We had a TV and our rooms were a good size for all of us.

The food was incredible. I was never disappointed by any restaurant or meal I got. Being abroad is a little pricey, but it really is the best food I've ever had. The grocery stores sell in less quantities than America so it was easy to cook for just one person especially when I was gone every weekend.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Florence is a touristy place so there were always Americans and other tourists around the city. In the winter, it was less crowded and I felt like I was not integrated with the locals and the Italian culture. As the summer approached, the city had more life and tourists visiting. SAI had a program to meet with Italian people and families which was a great way to meet more people and hear about their lives living in Florence. I also loved meeting the locals by going to the same restaurants frequently and they would begin to recognize me.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I got sick twice when I was in Florence and each time I got into the doctors and had medicine within hours. They were so good about making sure we were all healthy. It's included in the SAI pricing so it made going to the doctor extremely easy and affordable.

I thought that Florence was extremely safe to live in. It is constantly busy outside which made it easy to walk even at late hours because the city was still awake with bars, restaurants, tourists, and locals. People stay out later so it made walking home alone very easy. There was never a time I felt unsafe.

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

Being abroad can be very expensive so I had to make sure to save up prior to going to Italy. It is possible to live on a tight budget, but it makes it a lot more exciting and do-able with a bigger budget. When traveling, there are a lot of restaurants that are on the cheaper end, but usually they do not have that country's traditional food. I think getting was the locals like to eat, makes traveling a little more exciting and culturally integrated.

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

SAI had classes to help understand the language a little more.

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• Apartment

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• Americans

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• Americans

• Location
• Classes
• Staff

• Language Learning

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