Study Abroad-Changed my Life Past Review
By Allie V (Finance and Financial Management Services., Pace University) for
SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)
Yes. I learned how to live on my own, how to cook, what I love. I found myself.
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Professors spoke great english and were very understanding that you did come for the experience as a whole and not just to stay inside studying. The workload was very manageable and it was interesting to see the way they teach when using USA as an example in classes (i.e finance, economics). |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Their main weakness was their lack of organization. They had plenty of delays and weren't always able to answer all of your questions. However, they also had a lot of strenghts. They were around to help when truly necessary and they had many trips available for no additional costs. They were understanding with instances such as apartment noise and were very down to earth. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived in an apartment for 6 girls. It was a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom, living room, laundry room, dining room and kitchen. Cookware was provided as well as sheets. Everything was clean. Only things necessary to buy was toilet paper, napkins, dishsoap, soap, and other accessories. Towels were also included. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Venezia Carnevale 2011 and every single place I went to was memorable because there is nothing like it. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Healthcare made life a million times simpler. All I did was call the number on the card and I was given a doctor nearest me and had zero problems. As per safety, Florence is very safe as long as you're careful. Don't randomly walk with someone like you normally wouldn't do at home, otherwise you should feel very safe. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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? | San Lorenzo market is the cheapest place you can buy you're food. It's enormous and filled with incredibly fresh food. |
Language
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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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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