CEA is Terrible but Florence is great! Past Review

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

It was valuable to experience education in a different cultural context, and being placed in a foreign classroom certainly stretches you and teaches you to think using "all sides" of your brain and creativity. It is sort of hit or miss with the teachers. Some of them are really great and committed, and some are very arrogant and close-minded.

On-site administration of your program

While the CEA staff is very helpful in getting all the necessary paperwork and documents organized for you to go abroad, once you are there, you're on your own. When things go wrong, they are unhelpful, unsympathetic, and generally avoid taking any action. This can seriously impact the quality of your experience.

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

The location of the apartments was great - right in the center of the historic district and within walking distance of class. CEA does have you take a survey about your living habits, i.e. how often you drink each week, how late you stay up, are you messy, etc., however it means virtually nothing as there are not enough people in the program for them to group people accordingly. You will have 5-8 roommates and the apartments are big enough you may only share with one other person.

There are a lot of food options. The best recommendation for price and quality is to go to the market where the locals go, rather than just the grocery store. It's a great part of the experience.

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

There are great trips set up by the school with tour guides, however choose wisely because some of them are overpriced, and if you are feeling adventurous you could have a great time exploring with a friend instead.

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

The administration of the school was extremely hands-off when it came to safety and health. They were unhelpful and basically would not believe things were going wrong.

(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost)

You can take classes anywhere. If you are going to go to the expense and effort to study in another country, then make the effort to BE in another country, which means learn and speak THEIR language. You are required to take a language class, but how much you learn and use is kind of up to you. Many people speak English, so you could get by with speaking very little Italian, especially since you live with English speaking roommates, but people will appreciate you making the effort very much. You can practice speaking with Italians, or even better, do a language exchange once or twice a week with an Italian student trying to learn English at the library. Spending time talking to Italians is the best way to learn the language.

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• Americans