Experiencing a new culture and gaining independence Past Review
By A student (Maryville University of Saint Louis) - abroad from 05/19/2016 to 06/20/2016 with
Study Abroad at SRISA: Accredited Summer - Fine Arts, Liberal Arts and Design
- How to navigate through a city you don't know - Shopping at local businesses and eating at local restaurants (learning to understand the language and not seem too much like a rude American invading their country) - Learning how to use another currency - Learning how to use local transit - Walking everywhere you go, instead of relying on traveling by car
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 2 weeks - 1 month |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
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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? |
A few of our appliances were broken, and our shower and sink did not drain well at all. We got our washer fixed about halfway through our 5 weeks in Florence, but the oven was never fixed. We were disappointed that these appliance issues were not fixed before we moved in. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
After a few weeks, I almost felt like a local (minus not knowing the language). |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I did not use the healthcare system while in Italy. |
| * Safety: |
Florence in general was very safe in my opinion. I don't advise walking alone at night or going to night clubs alone, but in small groups (of only women) I felt completely safe at night. Walking alone during the day is COMPLETELY fine! |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
I liked how the program was set up. It always kept us busy and traveling to new cities. |
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 depends on your way of living. I mostly ate out for lunch and dinner every day. But, there was the option of buying food from the grocery store that would last you a few days. You could also cook in groups at your apartment and split the cost (VERY cheap!). |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 300 per week (that included food, souvenirs, and other expenses) |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | If you can, don't worry about the expenses while you are abroad. Eat out and try all the food. Buy all the souvenirs you want (you never know when you'll be back in Italy!). But, if you want to save money, I would mostly suggest to buy groceries instead of eating out every day. |
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 |
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| 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? | Beginner |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | 4 years of German in High School |
| How many hours per day did you use the language? | |
| Do you have any tips/advice on the best ways to practice the language for future study abroad participants? | Keep your ears open when going to local businesses and gatherings. You might pick up on a few simple Italian phrases that you could use later. |
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? | I wish I knew that I didn't need TWO suitcases. I could've fit everything into one suitcase and had less hassle when flying. Make sure I don't have any large bills. Many local businesses don't have enough change on hand. Pack for all types of weather, if you can. |
