Tell me more:
The Best 4 Months of My Life
AIFS: Florence - Richmond in Florence
Program Information
Be a part of the community, not just a tourist, living in your own Florentine apartment and enjoying restaurants and cafes throughout the city with your AIFS meal vouchers. Experience the culinary side of Italian culture with wine tasting and cooking classes. Explore Italy's artistic heritage with visits to mu... More
| Provider: | AIFS |
| Location(s): | Florence, Italy |
| Year Founded: | 1964 |
| Website | Take me there! |
Review By:
Emily C. (Marketing, University of Hartford) on January 20, 2012
Overall Rating
Personal Information
| * Start Date: | 2011-08-17 |
| * End Date: | 2011-12-02 |
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Grading was similar to home. Had a midterm and final paper along with tests and quizzes, no other work. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
helpful on all counts |
| * Housing: |
6 roommates, gorgeous apartment, great location |
| * Food: |
amazing meal plan |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
planned great events for us. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
the women working in the school were more than helpful when any issue arose. |
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* Home Institution Advising:
How well did University of Hartford prepare and support you for your time abroad? |
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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? | i spent around 8,000 to 9,000... i also traveled a lot |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | if you get stuck in a country when visiting for the weekend.. happened once to me in Paris and had to buy a train and plane ticket. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
use language in every day life while there |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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 did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * If you could do it all over again, would you choose the same program? | Yes |
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | It's not hard, you won't be homesick, you will have the time of your life. |
| * What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile? | SO worth it. |