Italy: Independence Past Review

By (Undeclared, Middlebury College) for

ISA Study Abroad in Florence, Italy

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Yes, it taught me to be independent and I really liked the classes.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 0-2 weeks

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

They were basically the same.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

They had great weekend programs and fantastic support.

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

* Food:

It is easy to be a vegetarian

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

The field trip to Cinque Terre was great!

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

I felt very safe in Florence.

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)

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition?

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

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • The weekend trips
* What could be improved?
  • The orientation

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:

Social Psychology

Course Department: Department of Psychology, course code: LA PY SP 300, credits: 3
Instructor: Valentina Nuzzo
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This course was interesting. Just a regular psychology class.
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Beginning Italian Language

Course Department: Italian Language, course code: IS IT IB 101 Credit: 3
Instructor: Linda Fineschi
Instruction Language: Italian
Comments: It was moderately challenging. It did make great use of the location. My teacher was very well prepared and knowledgable. I participated more, the class only had six students, it was a fantastic learning environment.
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Landscape and architectural photography

Course Department: Department of Digital Media and the Arts, course code: DI PH LA 230, credits: 3
Instructor: Jacopo Santini
Instruction Language: English
Comments: I loved this class! The teacher was very inspiring and insightful. We also used Florence as a classroom. All the assignments had great meaning and were very interesting. I learned much more than expected in this class, in addition, to a new found love of photography.
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Ethics of Globalization

Course Department: Philosophy Course Code: LA PS EG 340 Credit: 3
Instructor: Martino Traxler
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was one of the best courses I have ever taken. It was extremely interesting and although very reading intensive, totally worth it. The teacher was great, explained everything and the tests hard. I felt like I learned so much from this course.
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Introduction to Art History

Course Department: Art History and Architecture Department, course code: LA AH AH 210 credits: 3
Instructor: Caterina Romei
Instruction Language: English
Comments: This was a great course, partly due to the location. We truly used the city as our classroom and field trips to various museums was very beneficial. The teacher was extremely knowledgable.
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