Art in Italy! Past Review

By (Studio Arts, The University of Texas at Austin) for

Arcadia: Florence - Accademia Italiana Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Although I didn't get much out of the language aspect of it, it was still an amazing experience. I loved the Accademia Italiana and the location of the workshops. My apartment was in the center of Florence and I was able to access different places by walking. It taught me to be more independent, and how to live with other students. I would definitely go back and do it again. I would like to take more art courses there at another institution or possibly live there for a few months after graduation, now that I am aware of the culture and city.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Accademia Italiana
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.

the art courses that I took contained a good amount of work and mabye even a little more than what others expected for study abroad.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

The Accademia Italiana staff and faculty were really helpful with any questions that we had. Between the Arcadia staff and the AI staff, we were always updated on anything occuring and there was always someone there to talk to in any situation.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I was living in an apartment with 6 other American girls. The apartment was fully furnished and bedding was provided. The rooms were divided into three rooms of two and one single room. We were in the center of Florence and we were able to access the school and the workshops within a ten minute walk. There were various clubs and bars around us and many different places to eat.

* Food:

I would suggest going to the markets and buying fresh food, its cheaper than going to the grocery store!

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The EuroChocolate Festival in Perugia was amazing! There were so many chocolate booths and they even had chocolate pasta and it wasn't any trouble at all to take a train there. Taking a trip to a vinyard in the Tuscan hills is a must! We had an overnight trip to Il Corno, a vinyard outside of Florence, planned by the program with meals prepared by the owner and her cooks!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

We weren't required to get any vaccines before studying abroad. We had easy access to an English speaking doctor that was covered by our insurance through the program. As far as safety, i would suggest just taking the necessary actions to be safe just as you would at your home school.

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

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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? I spent a lot during the first two weeks of being there by going out to eat for every meal, buying clothes and going out at night. I wish I would've stuck to my budget, because that would've left me with more money to spend on traveling. I would suggest eating out maybe once a week at a different place, and going to the market to buy fresh foods for the rest of your meals. You will save a lot of money and it will give you the chance to try out italian recipes.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? None
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? none
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

Language acquisition improvement?

I was enrolled in a beginning Italian course, but I feel as though I didn't get much out of it. Living with American students and being surrounded by them in all of my classes, didn't give me the chance to practice my italian. The locals in the area that I lived in spoke english and when I would attempt to speak to them in italian, some of them didn't have the time to figure out what I was trying to say, therefore they would automatically answer me in english, even when I approached them in Italian. I would suggest living with a host family or taking courses that will allow you to interact with the local students.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? If you love art and Michelangelo then this is definitely the program for you. Florence is all about Michelangelo. Plus this it is smaller than Rome, but not too small. The workshops for studio courses overlook the river and there is a terrace with an amazing view of the city!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Photographing Florence

Course Department: ACCF SAPF 310
Instructor: Annalisa Savoca
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was exactly what I thought it would be! Every day, when the weather was nice, we would go around florence and photograph what we found most interesting or our instructor would give us specific ideas to photograph. Taking this course, really helped me bring back amazing photographs that I would've never taken had I not been enrolled in this class. It also changed how I take photographs and the way I look at things!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Free Hand Drawing - Life Drawing I

Course Department: GDI
Instructor: Oliviero Draghi
Instruction Language: Italian and English (if needed)
Comments: This course was the only course that I was enrolled in with italian students. The instructor spoke mostly in italian but explained everything in english for those of us that needed him to. The course required a good amount of work outside of class, but it really helped with the in class assignments. This was one of my favorite courses!!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Life and Works of Michelangelo

Course Department: ACCF AHMI 310
Instructor: Rocky Ruggiero
Instruction Language: English
Comments: Aside from my studio art courses, this was my favorite! The course load is average and your grade is made up of two exams, which are very straight forward. More than half of the lectures were site specific and the instructor is great!
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Painting Techniques 1

Course Department: SA 121
Instructor: Erin Murphy
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course required a good amount of out of class work since a painting was due every week. Since we only met once a week for 3 hours, this course was a learn-as-you-go type of course. There wasn't a lot of instruction from the instructor.
Credit Transfer Issues:
Course Name/Rating:

Elementary Italian 1

Course Department: ACCF ITLN 101
Instructor: Barbara Rosso
Instruction Language: English and Italian
Comments: This course was a beginning italian language course. I didn't learn as much as I wanted to, since everything we learned was more about vocabulary and grammer, rather than going out and speaking directly with the italian community.
Credit Transfer Issues: