Impeccable Past Review
By A student (Psychology & Italian, Smith College) - abroad from 09/08/2001 to 05/24/2002 with
Smith College: Florence - Smith in Florence
One of the best years of my life.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
An impressive array of courses for a small program, and all taught in Italian by true experts in their fields. We took one course at the University of Florence as well, our choice, and this was as immersed as immersion gets! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Director and Asst. Director were always at the school and very approachable. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Living with a family was simply extraordinary. |
| * Food: |
Host family provided breakfast and dinner and was careful to respect my tastes. Plus, Italian food......duh! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
We were encouraged to do and try everything, and the program sponsored MANY guided excursions and extra-curriculars. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
NA |
| * Safety: |
You'll deal with a good share of cat-calling but you get used to it. Same safety rules apply in Florence as would apply for college girls anywhere. |
| 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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Only for going out and shopping! |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | You'll probably spend more than you think! |
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 |
Required within the school, inside and outside of classes. Host families spoke no English, for the most part. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| 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? | 200 level. |
| 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? | Practice, practice. Find a tutor to converse with....conversation is everything. |
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? |
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? | Save more money! |
