Tell me more:
Florence: Great food, atmosphere and people!
API (Academic Programs International): Florence - Lorenzo de'Medici - The Italian International Institute
Program Information
Florence, located in the renowned region of Tuscany, is situated on the banks of the Arno River, surrounded by the rolling hills of the Italian countryside. To study and live in Florence is to walk the streets of Dante, Brunelleschi, Giotto and many other contributors to the arts and humanities. Here students ... More
| Provider: | Academic Programs International (API) |
| Hosted at: | Lorenzo de' Medici |
| Location(s): | Florence, Italy |
| Year Founded: | 1997 |
| Website | Take me there! |
Review By:
Samantha H. (Human Services, University of Hartford) on January 20, 2012
Overall Rating
Personal Information
| * Start Date: | 2011-09-05 |
| * End Date: | 2011-12-17 |
| 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. |
I found the workload to be overwhelming at times, but keeping up with the readings is necessary. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The strengths were that they were very helpful and always there to answer your questions. No weaknesses. |
| * Housing: |
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| * Food: |
I wish there were meal vouchers, food got expensive but API provided us with an apartment fully equipped with a kitchen so we would have dinners there quite often and take turns cooking. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Going out on the weekends was a great way to bond and meet new people. I was traveling almost every weekend to a different country to experience a different culture. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
You had to be careful at night, and in the daytime of gypsy's and pick pocketers. |
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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? | 50-200 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Traveling gets very expensive, so does food. Florence is known for its shopping so if you like to do that, bring some extra bucks. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
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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 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? | Make sure you understand all aspects that are included and not included when choosing a program. Before classes begin, take a walking tour and get into your routine to avoid getting lost. |
| * What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile? | I loved it! Being away from home was a new experience for me and I really gained a sense of independence and it opened my eyes to all different cultures. |