Returning to Italy as an Artist Past Review
By A student (Alfred University) - abroad from 05/17/2016 to 06/18/2016 with
Study Abroad at SRISA: Accredited Summer - Fine Arts, Liberal Arts and Design
I learned much about the art of the Renaissance, as well as other influential periods of local history. I also learned much about myself as an artist.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The location alone held innumerable resources to be used by artists from all over the world. The program was taught by a professor from our own university and was not incredibly rigorous or intense, but was rather an enriching experience, slow but meaningful. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staff and administration at SRISA were excellent, very kind and understanding, while also providing a great deal of help and additional resources to those that needed it. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment we were assigned was very large and spacious, having two bathrooms with showers, a living room, a small kitchen, and a balcony, in addition to our three bedrooms. It was a far better arrangement than any of us expected. |
| * Food: |
We got all of our food from local restaurants and bars, as well as grocery stores and markets. What few meals were provided to us during the program were rather lackluster, but good food is plentiful in Italy. |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
With any group trip abroad, it can be difficult to feel integrated with the culture. It is too easy, with a guide taking you around (in this case, our professor) along with a large group, to feel like an average tourist seeing the sights in a foreign country. However, when I got to roam alone, I felt fantastic amidst the culture. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
There were no major health concerns or warnings prior to our trip, and no medical emergencies had to be dealt with. The local pharmacies are very helpful and tend to have all that you may need for minor concerns and ailments. |
| * Safety: |
As with any large, popular city, danger and crime are inevitable. It may not happen to you, but there is always a possibility. I was able to get through the trip with no problems, and so were my classmates. However, some other kids were subject to pickpockets and other dangers in the street we normally don't think about here. My advice is to always keep an eye on your belongings, whether they be in a bag or pocket. I did not store anything at all in my pockets and instead put everything in a bag which I kept in my sight and tucked under my arm at all times. We were warned of mobile bag-snatchers, but we saw no such incidents while we were abroad. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I would very much love to come back to SRISA for another summer. I love Florence, and I loved my experience. It was just so expensive that it may not get to happen. |
Finances
|
* 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) |
I give this trip a 3.5. I, personally, was able to keep my personal expenses low, shopping for my own food and cooking instead of going out to eat. Just be sure to bring enough money to handle buying both food AND souveniers. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | About $50 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Buy fresh food at the market and cook in your apartment. My flatmates were able to make group dinners and split the cost, sometimes resulting in fantastic dinners for less than 3 euros per person. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | There is nothing in the program that I was not provided preparation or information for, and as such I cannot think of anything that I wish I had known. The closest example would perhaps be knowing that there were a lot of extra supplies available for those that didn't have enough. |
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! |
