Work/Study in Florence Gives a New Persective Past Review
By Katie G (Studio Art/Biology, Trinity University) for
Syracuse University: Florence - Syracuse University in Florence, Summer
Absolutely-- I feel like I definitely want to spend time during my career traveling. I have actually adjusted my post-graduation plans so that I can spend time abroad.
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. |
I absolutely loved my professor- she had a lot of life experience and had spent a lot of time in Florence, so she had a very broad understanding of the abroad experience. Likewise, she was well educated and had a good grasp of the material that she was teaching us. The course included many field trips, which allowed us to travel about Italy to improve our understanding of the material. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I felt quite well prepared for the Study Abroad experience. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Although Syracuse offered housing with a host family in Florence, I came in contact with a host family through a friend who had served as an Au Pair for a famliy friend of the people that I lived with. We exchanged emails for months until finally deciding to work abroad. In the process I decided to take a class while I was working, which I am extremely glad of. |
| * Food: |
The most economical option is to eat at home because the host mothers are usually very good cooks, but I enjoyed grabbing snacks at cafes and most grocery stores have delis where you can buy sandwiches and such. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
My program held a lot of cultural integration events including lecturers, wine tastings, free food, field trips all over the country. It was a great experience and I tried to take advantage of everything that I could. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
I felt very safe... like I said earlier, people should always have a plan and always be prepared when they go out but 99% of the time, Florence was extremely fun and safe. |
| 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 typically spent one hundred Euro throughout the week on food, transportation and entertainment if I was being frugal, but if you add in shopping and trips to other cities, I would say that I spent somewhere around $1500 to $2000 over six weeks... not to mention the phone bill which adds a nice chunk of change afterward. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure you are completely set with an international credit card, spare euros, spare American money (at least $100) for after you return, and an international cellphone plan before you leave. Always plan to spend less than you can afford because you will probably end up having unexpected expenses. I had a 95 euro bus ticket because I didn't validate it when I was taking a five-minute bus ride and I can assure you that I had not anticipated paying for that! |
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?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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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? | If you are given the opportunity to do anything new or exciting while abroad (and you can afford it) then don't say no! |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
HOA-300: Leonardo Da Vinci |
| Course Department: | 300 |
| Instructor: | Jane Zaloga |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was an extremely interesting course and was very applicable to my experience in Florence. As a science and art major, it was fascinating to learn about someone who excelled in both of those areas. The material was informative and quite eye-opening. I have a great appreciation for the man and the technology of the time period. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
