Life in Florence at Syracuse University Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

Syracuse is an American university, so the system was not all that different in Italy.

On-site administration of your program

The program was much larger than I had originally anticipated, which ended up being both a positive and a negative thing. It was large enough to have its own beautiful campus not far from the center of the city, but the large student body made it difficult to become close to many people. The administration was extremely helpful in most situations, but occasionally, simple tasks, such as filling out the right forms for students going on a school trip, were very unclear.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The program was extremely helpful in providing housing. A long questionnaire was sent out months before the program started asking about our preferred housing situation. They accommodated my requests extremely well, although I know that some other students were not quite as lucky. I lived with one woman and needed only to bring my clothes and basic supplies. Other than that, almost everything was waiting for me there. I felt very welcome in my host mother's home. There were some particular cultural differences that I needed to learn, but nothing that made me feel uncomfortable.

Dinner at my host mother's house was always amazing and plentiful. The city has enough amazing restaurants to almost be able to never eat in the same place twice.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Traveling around the country was very easy, and I took advantage of this fact. Syracuse also organized many weekend trips that were affordable and well-planned. My favorite school-sponsored trip was a four day trip to Sicily.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

There were very few times if any that I ever felt unsafe in Florence. I did not, however, make a point of walking by myself past 3 am and tried to stay conscious of my surroundings. Overall, the city is very safe.

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

I practiced with the professors, with my host mother, and during everyday interactions with people in the country.

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• Host Family

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• Host Family

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• Americans

• Great campus
• Administration was responsive and friendly
• Fun and affordable school-sponsored trips

• There were some occasional organizational problems