Unforgettable four months in Florence Past Review
By Jennifer R (Providence College) - abroad from 01/23/2012 to 05/12/2012 with
Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy
My experience abroad was 100% worth it. I learned that in life you just have to go with the flow and you never know what is going to happen. Unpredictability is a good thing, and you will learn how to deal with things in the blink of an eye. Going abroad makes you gain independence and patience. You also get to see so much of the world and learn how different life can be all over.
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 |
The people working for Fairfield University were extremely friendly and available for to help you. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was in a great location and I always felt safe. We lived in a building with all Italians, so you have to be mindful of your neighbors, but we never had any problems. |
| * Food: |
The food in Florence is absolutely amazing. It is hard to find a bad meal anywhere. |
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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? |
I never had any health issues, but several of my roommates need to go to the doctor. It was very easy for them to set up an appointment with an English speaking doctor and then get prescription drugs very shorty after. |
| * Safety: |
I always felt safe in Florence. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 200 euro |
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 |
I think that the language program could be improved. I think we should learn more conversational vocabulary that we can use in everyday life rather than mostly grammar rules. It is difficult to practice Italian because everyone speaks English. |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? | Beginner |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 0 |
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? | 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? | When you first arrive, you might feel extremely uncomfortable and questioning your decision. But it will be the best decision you ever made, so enjoy every second of it. Also, you are going to spend a lot of money, but every penny will be well worth it. You probably will never have an opportunity like this again, so do everything you possibly can. |
