Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

I left my heart in Italy Past Review

By (ARCHITECTURE AND RELATED SERVICES., Tufts University) for

Syracuse University: Florence - Syracuse University in Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I fell in love with architecture, Florence, and all of Italy. I wish every single day since I left that I could go back. It was easily the greatest 3 and a half months of my life.

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

The workload for non studio classes is very manageable, rarely did homework related to those classes. The architecture studios were a lot of work and involved many weekend trips. If you enjoy it, it won't feel like work, I spent 30 hours in the studio in 2 days and loved every minute of it. The weekend trips were my favorite part of the program and are where the majority of my memories are from. Things really aren't much different in terms of grading but some of the native Italian professors refuse to give A's on the first assignment so you have something to work towards. In the entire semester I wrote 1 paper that was only 4 pages.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

n/a

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

n/a

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

just always explore Florence, theres always something to see or something going on

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

n/a

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Weekend trips/inter-European flights cost more than people make you think

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? none
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I lived in an apartment with other american students. I was not there to learn italian but to study architecture. that being said, i learned all the italian i needed to get by in the first month

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Trips
* What could be improved?
  • Professors
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you have any interest in architecture at all, try the pre-professional architecture program. You don't need any experience at all, in fact most people in the program don't. Its a very small program about 15 students in a larger school of 300 students. You have weekend trips all over Italy almost every other weekend and half of the classes you take will be primarily drawing.