I grew the most as a person during this semester more than any other. Past Review
By Annelise (Benedictine College) - abroad from 02/01/2009 to 04/30/2009 with
Benedictine College: Florence - Semester Program in Florence, Italy
I gained a lot of self confidence and a huge appreciation for art.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Class load was perfect. It was less intense than a normal semester which allowed for more time to learn about Italy and surrounding countries from firsthand experiences. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Beautiful location! |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
Well yes and no. It was definitely a good experience for an initial immersion in the culture and language, but if I had The opportunity to go again I would really like to stay with a host family so I would have a better setting in which to learn Italian. |
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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Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
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How much did the program encourage you to use the language?
0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language |
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| 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? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Spend time with people who will only use Italian to talk with you. One of the best language immersion experiences I had was staying with a friend's relatives in Venice. They spoke hardly any English so we had no other option for communication besides Italian. I felt like I learned a lot about speaking the language that weekend. |
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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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Don't over pack! Three months seems like a long time but you will likely end up wearing a few outfits that work really well for traveling and maybe a couple for special occasions like Mass or the beach, so keep it simple. |
