Italy: Escape Americanism and Enjoy the Tuscan Life Past Review
By Rija S (Sociology/Pre-Med, Austin College) for
SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)
The experience strengthened my interest in my professional plans.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
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| * Food: |
Amazing food!!!! My host mom was the best cook and adhered to my dietary requirements perfectly. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I enjoyed SAI's trip to Rome. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Florence is a very safe city. I did not have any problems walking around the city at night. |
| 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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| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About 50 euro (however, I only had to pay for lunches and two dinners a week out of my personal expenses). |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling by train is not THAT cheap, traveling outside of the host city is more expensive than anticipated. |
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? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I used the host country language in my interaction with my host family. Most of the students, however, were not challenged to speak Italian. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Stay with a host family! |
