Florence Facts and Fun Past Review
By Kylie H (Elementary Education and Linguistics, The College of William and Mary) for
SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)
I absolutely think my experience was worthwhile--I learned a lot about others and about myself, and I came back to the States with different perspectives and attitudes that I will carry with me in the future.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The workload was different in Florence, and although it wasn't as difficult as at William and Mary, I still worked hard. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
They were responsive, but a little disorganized |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
Italian food is AMAZING! Find the more local and less touristy places and anything you order will be fantastic. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I liked the Etruscan Coast weekend. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
Florence is generally a safe place, as long as you are smart about when/with whom you walk home at night. |
| 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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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Italy is a little more expensive than America, but if you're careful with your food and personal spending, you'll be fine. Planning trips was a bit more expensive than I expected. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 102 |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
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Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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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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