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Study Abroad Program Review of American Institute of Foreign Study

Submitted by Katherine Corcoran (public relations,female,The University of Texas at Austin) on July 19th, 2010

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Academics
Language
Housing & Food
Culture & Health
Final Opinion

Personal Information

Start Date:

Jan 13, 2010

End Date:

May 5, 2010

If you enrolled at multiple foreign universities, please list them here:

Richmond University in London

International exposure prior to program?

0-2 weeks

Academics Overall

**Overall educational experience:

**Comment:

Loved the teachers! The courses weren't as exciting/interesting as I felt they could have been, but I still enjoyed them enough. I was glad that the school required all students to take Italian since it forced me to learn the language some.

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Course Title:

Basic Spoken Italian

Course Department and Number:

ITL103

Instructor:

Veronica

Language of Instruction:

Italian

Please comment on the course:

This was the follow-up course to the orientation Italian course we took before arriving in Florence. To be honest, I didn't learn much else in this class that I learned in the orientation class. I think I would suggest taking the Elementary Italian class as opposed to Basic Spoken. Loved the teacher! Didn't get too much else out of the class.

Please rate the course overall:

Did you have any credit transfer issues upon return to your home institution? If so, what would you suggest to other students?

Easy credit transfer.

Course

**Course Title:

European Business Environment

**Course Department and Number:

INB306

**Instructor:

Tamara Evans

**Language of Instruction:

English

**Please comment on the course:

Really did not like this course at all. Not an international business class really, but instead more of a class on the history of the EU. Pretty hard too. Wouldn't recommend it.

**Please rate the course overall:

**Did you have any credit transfer issues upon return to your home institution? If so, what would you suggest to other students?

Course

**Course Title:

Italian Cinema and Society

**Course Department and Number:

COM315

**Instructor:

Lorenzo

**Language of Instruction:

English

**Please comment on the course:

Somewhat interesting class. Watched some good movies, but the class was at 9 am, so it was difficult to stay awake when the lights went out to watch a movie.

**Please rate the course overall:

**Did you have any credit transfer issues upon return to your home institution? If so, what would you suggest to other students?

Course

**Course Title:

High and Late Renaissance Art History

**Course Department and Number:

ARH370

**Instructor:

Peter Porcal

**Language of Instruction:

English

**Please comment on the course:

Absolutely loved this class! Peter was a fantastic teacher! Nothing like learning about an iconic painting like "Venus On The Half-shell" and actually seeing it in real life!

**Please rate the course overall:

**Did you have any credit transfer issues upon return to your home institution? If so, what would you suggest to other students?

Language Overall

Foreign language component?

Yes

**Language acquisition improvement?

**Comment:

All the Italians spoke English, but they definitely appreciated it when they saw we were trying to speak to them in Italian. Was not with a host family, so didn't practice speaking all too often outside of Italian class.

Host Country Program Administration Overall

**On-site administration of your program:

**Please explain the program's strengths and weaknesses:

They were fantastic! My AIFS advisor was incredibly helpful, always easy to reach, and so so nice. The AIFS program was a little more expensive than the rest of the programs similar to it offered in Florence, but it was absolutely worth it. They were more expensive because the program fee included trips to London, Rome, and Venice, as well as a meal plan that was 5 breakfasts and 5 dinners each week. The size was great--not too small but not too large either. In total, there were 170 in my specific program in Florence, but then there are thousands more Americans studying in Florence each semeseter.

Housing Overall

Living arrangements? (all that apply):

Apartment

Who did you live with?

Americans

If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

**Housing satisfaction:

**Comment:

Via Maggio--near Pitti Palace. I loved this neighborhood since it was much more authentic-Italian. Apartment was very nice--included a washing machine and kitchen. Roommates were tolerable but not my best friends.

Bed linens and cookware were included. Landlord spoke very very little English, but our school helped with the communication.

Food Overall

**Food satisfaction:

**Comment:

Obviously the food in Italy is incredible. Our program gave us meal vouchers for the majority of the meals we ate--one breakfast ticket was worth 5 euro, dinner worth 13. You could spend that money towards anything at the restaurant or choose from a fixed-price menu. No other program had this set-up, and it was absolutely amazing. And the restaurants that we were able to use the vouchers were really nice/authentic Italian!

Safety and Health Overall

**How well were health issues addressed through your program?

**Safety:

**Comment:

Safety was the same sort of thing you have to be concerned with there that you do in the US. I never once felt uncomfortable or at risk.

Money Overall

**How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?

General Assessment Overall

**Words of wisdom:

Anyone who is at all interested in going abroad truly should! And honestly, I feel that going for a summer doesn't suffice. A full-semester was perfect. Furthermore, you get an even richer cultural experience when you are there for a semester instead of a summer since it is a much less tourist time. I went not knowing anyone, but it was the best decision ever. I made friends immediately, and really didn't think too much about my friends back at school. It's scary initially but that fades fast.

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

Yes

**Overall satisfaction with your study abroad experience:

**Was your study abroad experience worthwhile?

Absolutely worth it! I grew as a person and learned a lot about myself and my values. Italy was a beautiful country that taught me to worry less about the small, trivial things in life. I cannot ever fully explain how my abroad experience affected me mainly because I am still finding new ways that I see that I am a changed or better person because of my semester abroad.

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Study Abroad Program Review of American Institute of Foreign Study

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