SAI- a great experience for any student Past Review
By Bella (University of South Carolina - Columbia) - abroad from 01/21/2019 to 05/08/2019 with
SAI Study Abroad: Florence - Florence University of the Arts (FUA)
I gained a lot of confidence from going abroad that I did not have before. It taught be how to be independent, live in the moment, and a lot of travel hacks!
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 classes I took were engaging and challenging but not overly difficult. I learned a lot from my professors! |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
There was always staff available to students! |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
My apartment was great besides the fact that it was a little dirty and dusty. |
| * Food: |
No food was provided by this institution |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
SAI did a really good job of giving us guided tours within the city that introduced us to the local culture, but we did not have much opportunity to meet many locals. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not have any experiences with healthcare. |
| * Safety: |
Florence is a pretty safe city until about 2:00am. Definitely do not go anywhere alone past 12am, but if something happens, SAI does have an emergency number to call if you need help. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I had a great introductory semester to Florence! This was a great program for me because I met a ton of people from USC that I did not know before going abroad. |
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) |
the cost of food is pretty reasonable in Florence for groceries and eating out, but it does add up for some personal expenses. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | about $100 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Cook most of the time while you are in your host city so you can save money for weekend travels. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
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? | 0 |
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? | You should take advantage of every opportunity! |
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 Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Wine Culture and Society in Tuscany |
| Course Department: | Hospitality |
| Instructor: | Umberto |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The field trip was awesome and we learned so much! The lectures were a little tedious but the tastings were great. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
