challenging but worth every penny and every pound Past Review

By (Biology, General., Providence College) for

Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

Disappointed we did not have meal vouchers to local restaurants as most other programs did. The food in Italy itself was amazing.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

Florence was a relatively safe city. I did have to go to the hospital for possible appendicitis and my program director was there with me for as long as I needed her. When my apartment got broken into however we were not taken seriously at first by our assistant program director (student liason?).

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? No

Finances

* 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)

Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? Know the exchange rate. Luggage expenses when coming home.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
Language acquisition improvement?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans