Amazing. Past Review
By A student (Art Education, Cardinal Stritch University) - abroad from 08/24/2015 to 12/18/2016 with
CEA CAPA Education Abroad: Florence, Italy
I learned the local language, gained confidence and learned organizational skills.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I really enjoyed the staff in the programs. They were all very friendly. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
I stayed with a his family and would highly recommend that experience and my specific family to any prospective study abroad student. |
| * Food: |
The school didn't provide food, but my host mom did. And, her cooking was amazing. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Pretty good. The program integrated us really well with the city and local culture. My only critique is that I wish we had more interaction with local Italian students. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
not applicable to me |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
Yes, I loved everything about Florence and miss it so much. |
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? | If trail expenses were included in that, about $300 a week. Just on food: about $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Walk in the cities that you travel to as much as possible (safety permitting). Local transportation can add up, and walking lets you see more of the city that you would otherwise miss. |
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? | Intermediate |
| 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? | Staying with a host family is what really helped me apply what i was learning in class. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
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? | That most of the students in the CEA program already knew each other before going there, because they have an exchange set up with their home university. |
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.' |
