Memorable and Lifechanging Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The academic rigor of my program was not as intense as the mine at home. However, I don't consider that a bad thing. Even with a less intense curriculum, I learned new forms of art and new techniques that will help whenever I make art in any medium. All of my teachers were excellent and really cared about us students. The library at SACI has a very nice selection of art and art history books. I wish it were bigger though.

On-site administration of your program

The staff at SACI are very helpful and nice. I encourage you to get to know the SACI staff at the front desk. Whether you have a question and of just want to chat, they will make you feel welcome.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was lucky enough to get an apartment that was very spacious and had an awesome view of the Bargello Museum (which is an awesome museum that has a cool collection of Michelangelo's early works. It's also free for SACI students). It was also very well located; I was about 5 minutes away from the Duomo, 15 min away from school, and 10 min away from the Ponte Vecchio. The only sucky part of my apartment was the shower drain; it kept on clogging no matter how much my roommates and I tried to keep the drain clean.

Food is one of the best and most important experiences in Italy. The ingredients are always super fresh and cooked well. Even though I feel this way about Italian food, I didn't at first; I originally thought that the food was somewhat bland (this is because Italians don't use as much salt as Americans do). I recommend shopping at the Mercato Centrale and Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio for fresh fruits and vegetables. When you can't, go to either Conad or Coop for food. In terms of restaurants, try to avoid overpriced ones around the Duomo and explore the streets for really good ones. In my experience, the some of best restaurants are the ones that are on smaller streets. To start, check out All' Antico Vinaio on Via di Neri and Vecchio Forno on Via Guelfa.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Running daily errands and exploring vintage shops such as grocery shopping really gave me a chance to see Florentines interacting with each others and gave me the chance to practice some Italian. That was a very memorable part of my study abroad experience. On some of the reviews, you might see that it was hard to feel integrated within the local culture. During my stay, integrating into the local culture, wasn't hard; however, the opportunities to do so aren't immediately visible. I got to integrate into Florentine culture and meet locals through church and bible study. Here, I met and made great friends with both expats and university students. Although finding these groups took some effort, the effort was well worth it. Meeting and interacting with these people was the best part of living in Florence. I suggest that you go online (meetup.com seems like a pretty good place to do this) or ask SACI to find different ways to interact with the local life.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

I did not have a health issue in Italy.

The city is very safe. The most dangerous crime there is pickpocketing. However, just like for any other city, you should always be aware of your surroundings.

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

Pretty well. Travel made some weeks more expensive.

Select all that apply

• Apartment

Select all that apply

• Americans

Select all that apply

• Americans

• teachers and staff
• being in florence

• having more updated Adobe Creative Cloud programs
• I wish we had the opportunity to room with students at the University of Florence

The Nearly Native or Trail Blazer