Kindness in friends; magic in doing so in a new language Past Review
By Kerri G (English, Hamilton College) - abroad from 01/16/2014 to 05/16/2014 with
Sarah Lawrence in Florence
It was absolutely worthwhile. I gained confidence in my own independence and language-learning skills. I gained friends and a new perspective of my own country.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
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 |
The administration were phenomenal. They make you feel at home, and they go the extra mile to help you. Paula helped me find train tickets numerous times and Christina helped me find a choir to join, and even took me to the first rehearsal herself. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My family was very sweet and accomodation. I wish I had been able to become a bit more involved in their lives, but I think that is probably due to limited time and my own confusion concerning to what extent I was allowed get close to them (ex: attending the son's soccer game or going out to an aperitivo with my host parents). |
| * Food: |
My host family was exceptionally accommodating in providing me with some of my favorite foods. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I felt very integrated. I owe much of that to the fact that I joined the University of Florence choir, and was then able to interact with locals on a weekly basis. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I never had health issue to address, so I do not feel at liberty to accurately comment. |
| * Safety: |
I would encourage students to walk home with another student at night. I got lost coming home from the opera house on the other side of town from where I lived during the first two weeks. I was fortunate enough to meet a girl my age to accompany me to a recognizable point. The only real problems I experienced were cat calls. I otherwise feel that it is a very safe city. |
| 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? | I spent about 50 euros weekly |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | I recommend spending about 5 euros on lunch each day. Spending more than that too often quickly adds up. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Advanced |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Intermediate (two semesters) |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | I definitely recommend either making friends with Italians or joining a language exchange. For me, attending choir rehearsals twice a week helped me to practice greatly. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew how I stood as a guest versus a family member going into the program. I ended the program wishing I had known that that guest wall could have been broken much more. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Academic or LinguistYou went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italy and the European Union |
| Course Department: | History |
| Instructor: | Davide Lombardo |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This class made use of the location by highlighting current events in the EU, and also involving tours of Florence and Genova to discuss urban planning changes. Professor Lombardo's discussion-style of teaching was very effective in the small class size, as students felt at ease to ask questions at any moment with ample time for all of us to share our opinions as well. I definitely participated more in this class than I would have at my home institution. We were assessed for short in-class presentations, two exams, and the conference paper. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
