Syracuse University in Florence Past Review
By Rachel S (Art History and Cinema & Media Studies, Wellesley College) for
Syracuse University: Florence - Syracuse University in Florence
I loved living with a host family and getting exposed to a different way of life. I have a completely different view of American culture and politics having lived abroad, and I think it is an integral part of college study.
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. |
Very American system |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Incredibly accessible staff that was always helpful |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I lived by the Stadium, on Via Castelfidardo. My host family was beyond amazing, and I owe my love of Florence to all of their efforts. Dinners with my family were my favorite part of the day, and I don't know what I would have done without them. <br /><br /> My host family was amazing and my absolute favorite part of being abroad. I was immediately part of the family, and always felt safe and comfortable. It was nice to live away from the city center because I got to explore a non-tourity area, but going out at night was a lot more effort. |
| * Food: |
My host mom was a wonderful cook and spoiled us with her amazing dishes. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
The SUF field studies were incredible, and I traveled around Italy as much as possible. The three-day weekends make travel very easy, and it was my favorite part of the study abroad experience. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Florence is super safe as long as you're smart and don't walk around alone at night. |
| 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? | Daily expenses were very small because I only needed to buy lunches, which I made after shopping cheaply at markets. Weekend travel can get expensive, but is very much worth it. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Travel can get expensive, but there are many ways to save money by booking things like trains/airfare early on. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | Italian I (first semester) |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
My Italian language class was almost pointless, but I learned an incredible amount from my host family. The only reason I left the program semi-fluent in Italian was because of speaking with my family, and I could have learned much more by spending the wasted classroom time with my host family. |
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 do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Try to get involved as much as possible, and speak in Italian whenever possible because more Americans don't and the Italians really appreciate it. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Etruscans & Romans: Ancient Art & Society in Italy |
| Course Department: | HOA303 |
| Instructor: | Charles Ewell |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This was a fabulous course, mostly because Professor Ewell is incredible. He's very engaging and obviously loves the material. Our field studies were also wonderful, and one of my favorite parts of my abroad experience. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
