Studying at Florence University of the Arts Past Review

By (Math, Providence College) for

Fairfield University: Florence - Semester or Year in Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
yes, my experience abroad was well worth the time and money. it was easily the greatest experience of my life and i wouldnt take it back for anything. i wish i could do it all over again. i suggest lots of travel, but also make sure you get a feel of what it is like to live in your local city, that is very important. try everything, including all foods, and have no regrets.

Personal Information

If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: Florence University of the Arts
The term and year this program took place: Fall 2009

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I couldnt take any courses for my major or minor, so i wasnt terribly interested in a couple of my classes. this made it harder to do well in them. but overall, it was a decent education experience.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

i think they could have given use more useful information on how to interact with the locals, but their trips were a lot of fun and a good way to see more of italy

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

it was great. i lived on via dei pilastri which was huge. i loved our personal backyard. the location wasn't great but it was worth it <br /><br /> everything was great except for the location. it was far away from everything and the streets around it were dangerous

* Food:

good groceries were available but they, with the restaurants, were expensive. i loved the food in florence though, i have never eaten so well in my life

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

we had great field trips and for the most part, the program was well put together

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

i didnt have much reason to feel unsafe in the program, but the lifestyle outside of the classroom could get dangerous

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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? just keep watching your bank account. it is VERY easy to spend money

Language

Language acquisition improvement?

i liked my professor a lot and he helped me learn useful information

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Apartment
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans

A Look Back

* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? i think it was a great choice, and i couldnt have picked a better spot than florence.

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Italian Renaissance Architecture

Course Department: Art History LA AH AR 340
Instructor: Andrea Galdy
Instruction Language: English
Comments: it was a good course because we would go on lots of field trips and we got to see more of florence than other kids who didnt take the class
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Italian Language Intermediate

Course Department: Italian Studies and Linguistics LA IS II 201
Instructor: Umberto Gori
Instruction Language: English/Italian
Comments: i loved professor gori. he was very fair and i learned a lot. he was funny and made class entertaining, and he was always willing to help
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Ethics of Globalization

Course Department: Political Science and International Relations LA PS EG 340
Instructor: Martino Traxler
Instruction Language: English
Comments: professor traxler was a really nice guy. his course was pretty tough, and demanded a lot, but it was manageable
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Culture Shock: Cross-Cultural Psychology

Course Department: Psychology LA PY CS 310
Instructor: Francesco Sommariva
Instruction Language: English
Comments: professor sommariva was a very ncie man. the course was a bit helpful, but every class was pretty much the same and very repetitive. tough to stay awake in class
Credit Transfer Issues: no
Course Name/Rating:

Introduction to Environmental Conservation

Course Department: Environmental Studies LS ES EC 300
Instructor: Mirella Sarti
Instruction Language: English
Comments: professor sarti spoke very broken english, but she tried to help a lot. she was tough to understand and it was hard to stay awake because she was boring, but she is a sweet lady that wants you to do well
Credit Transfer Issues: no