AMAZING EXPERIENCE!!!!!! Past Review
By Samantha Trippi (Southern Illinois University - Carbondale) - abroad from 01/15/2018 to 05/04/2018 with
AIFS: Florence - Richmond in Florence and Internship Program
A cool opportunity I got to partake in thanks to AIFS was working as a tour guide at the Church of Santa Croce, this church was across the street from my apartment and is where Michelangelo is buried! All students at AIFS are offered the opportunity to partake in volunteer work, a friend of mine got to help teach children at a local school.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
|
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
|
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
|
| * Food: |
amazing meal plan! |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
|
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
|
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
My time in Florence, Italy was an incredible experience I will never forget thanks to the American Institute For Foreign Study. They made applying and and getting ready for departure easy and seamless by walking me through the visa and passport applications, and by providing the option to have my flight to and from Italy booked by the company. That was such a relief for me because I had never booked a flight overseas before, another perk of having my flight booked by AIFS was a 2 day layover in London on they way to Italy. After arriving in Florence, AIFS did such a great job helping students make the most of their time, they always had free or cheap events for us to attend like gelato tours, cooking classes, soccer games and even tickets to the opera. There were also many excursions included in the price of tuition, one was a week long trip to Rome and the others were weekend or day trips to places like Venice and Viareggio. |
Finances
|
* 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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 75 |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
|
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
|
| 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 |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
|
| * What could be improved? |
|
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | you will be taking classes at a school that has only other AIFS students |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
