Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Calling Florence Home for a Year, the Best Year Past Review

By (Sarah Lawrence College) - abroad from 09/09/2015 to 05/15/2015 with

Sarah Lawrence in Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
Moving to a city where you don't speak the language and don't know anyone is an exciting adventure everyday.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 6 months+

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

I absolutely loved my classes. The teachers pushed us hard and assigned lots of work but the topics were always intriguing and fun to study. It was never too much work though, I had enough time to explore the city each day and travel on weekends. The school and teachers provide us with amazing recourses around Florence including libraries, museums, and internships.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

Paola and Cristina are incredible. They want each student to have the best experience possible. I felt that they were always available to help with anything. They organize the most amazing trips and are very fun to be around!

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I lived with a sweet Italian woman and two high school study abroad girls from Mexico. We became a family very fast in the apartment. In the beginning my Italian was very choppy but my host mother was very patient and supportive. We were all very motivated to speak with each other at dinner, so the other students' and my Italian language skills progressed very quickly. The four of us spent a lot of time together voluntarily.

* Food:

I never ate anything bad in Florence! Food was one of the best parts of living in Italy. We are given breakfast and home-cooked dinner 6 days a week. My lunches varied, but I would usually buy food from the market. During school trips to various cities, we eat at the most amazing restaurants.

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

Getting to know people in Florence was difficult, especially in the beginning when I was still a little shy with the city. Once I stared seeing familiar faces at cafes and bars, it got easier. I also had an internship which led me to get to know a lot of Florentine people.

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

Very easy and accessible.

* Safety:

Florence was once of the safest cities I have ever been in. Of course you should always be mindful of your surrounding, just like in any other city, but I never had any problems with safety.

If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? Yes

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)

It is easy to find cheap food for lunch and cappuccinos only cost 1.20. I worked a few jobs over the summer and was able to live on that money the whole time abroad including travel expenses during winter and spring break.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? less than 30
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? You should definitely travel to different countries from Florence, there are lots of low cost airlines and housing available. Try to plan your travels early so you can get the best deals possible!

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component? Yes
How much did the program encourage you to use the language?

0 = No encouragement, 5 = frequent encouragement to use the language

If you want to learn a language almost fluently then this is the program to come to!

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Intermediate
How would you rate your language skills at the end of the program? Advanced
What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? Intermediate Italian
How many hours per day did you use the language?

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • International Students
  • Host Family
* Who did you take classes with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?
  • Professors and Courses
  • Trips
  • Florence as a city
* What could be improved?
  • More events with local students
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? The trips! The program takes the students on so many educational and fun trips.

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 Academic or Linguist
You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!