Once in a Lifetime Past Review
By A student (Accounting, Boston College) - abroad from 01/18/2012 to 05/12/2012 with
Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy
I gained a once in a lifetime experience that I will forever cherish. I hope to one day be able to revisit Florence and possibly even stay there for good.
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. |
I really enjoyed the classes that I took. The professors for the most part were easy to understand and the international spin they took on issues I've learned about before was very eye-opening. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was very accommodating to whatever needs we had. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The apartment was a bit small, but not bad relative to other apartments we visited while in Florence. The stove could have been a bit nicer. |
| * Food: |
The food was amazing, absolutely no complaints. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I thought the local citizens were generally very friendly and happy to speak to us in italian or english. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It was pretty safe although I did have friends who were jumped and had their wallets stolen. |
| 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) |
Finding good food for cheap prices was very manageable, as long as you stayed clear of the tourist spots (Duomo, Ponte Vecchio). |
| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | No |
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 |
They encouraged us to use it when running errands and ordering food. |
| 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 |
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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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? | I wish I knew how early you need to sign up for trips around Europe, as the student deals run out pretty quickly. |
