Summer Study Abroad Program in Florence Past Review
By A student (Government and Economics, The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 05/25/2012 to 06/23/2012 with
William and Mary: Florence - Summer Program in Florence, Italy
Experience traveling in Europe...stressful but doable.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | Lingua Viva |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Politics of the Euro class was intense but very informative. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
Our guide, Andrea, was fun and helpful. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
A significant language barrier but great food! |
| * Food: |
Fantastic. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Only had 4 weeks, but felt pretty integrated. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I didn't have any major health issues. |
| * Safety: |
By the end of the program, felt very safe in Florence. |
| 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) |
Somewhat expensive. |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Find restaurants with special lunch deals (e.g. 4 euro pasta!) |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Study a bit before you get there so you don't have to start from scratch. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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| 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? |
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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? | Start studying Italian before you go |
