Trip of a lifetime! Past Review
By Andrea F (Kansas State University) - abroad from 01/26/2015 to 05/15/2015 with
SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)
I could write on and on about the experiences I gained and learned from studying abroad with SAI. It was worth every bit of hard work I put into it, and I highly recommend every student study abroad for at least one semester because you will learn more about yourself, what you want to do with your life, how to live in a completely different environment, getting out of your comfort zone, and I could go on and on! Studying abroad will help you professionally and I will definitely go with SAI again!!
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The academic experience was incredible! Completely different than a college course in the U.S., however, it was a good difference. Classes weren't so focused on grades, more of learning, which I loved!! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
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| 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) |
It wasn't very easy because I had to pay for the entire trip by myself. If I had more money saved up, it would have been easier to live there for so long! However, groceries were not that expensive and I made it work! |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | Around 20-75 euros a week |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make sure to learn about the shopping and markets before spending loads of money the first week there! Once you shop around for a few weeks, you will learn where to get the most for your money, and this included shopping!! |
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 |
My program encouraged it and I was so glad I took an Italian class! |
| 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? | Intermediate |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | None |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | 10+ |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Practice practice practice! The Italians love to practice their English and the more you try to speak Italian, the quicker you will pick it up!! Seriously! I felt almost fluent by the end of one semester! I highly recommend taking a language class as well, so that you can learn correct forms of wording, tense, etc. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 10+ |
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? | To save all my money up! 5 months is a long time to plan for and I under-planned! |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Avid AdventurerThe wardrobe you packed was better suited for a semester of camping than club hopping. Outdoorsy, you might forgo a crazy night out for an early all-day adventure. You'd rather take in the rich culture of an old town than the metropolis of a modern city, but for you getting off the grid is ideal. |
