Abroad101: Study Abroad Reviews

Fantastic Time at Syracuse in Florence! Past Review

By (Art History, Wellesley College) - abroad from 01/12/2016 to 04/28/2016 with

Syracuse University: Florence - Syracuse University in Florence

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?
I learned that I would really like to continue studying art history after graduating from Wellesley, and I gained an Italian mother and great friends.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? 1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience

Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.

* Host Country Program Administration

On-site administration of your program

* Housing:

How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?

I absolutely loved my host family! If I hadn't lived with a local family, I don't know that I would have truly embraced the culture!

* Food:

* Social & Cultural Integration:

How integrated did you feel with the local culture?

* Health Care:

How well were health issues addressed during the program?

* Safety:

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

This program allowed me to embrace Italian culture by living with a host family, but did not overwhelm me by teaching classes in English. It also enabled me to learn about Italian Renaissance art on-site, which is not possible in the U.S.

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)

The food portion of SUF's budget does not include lunch every day of the week, and dinner on the weekends. I did end up spending a good chunk of my budget on food, more than I expected. I also lived very far from school, where the closest restaurants and cafes open often had higher prices than vendors around the school.

Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? About 60-100 Euros

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

How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? Beginner
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? Italian 101
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? Try to speak Italian with your host family as much as possible!! It is respectful to them, and will help you learn very quickly.

Other Program Information

* Where did you live?

Select all that apply

  • Host Family
* Who did you live with?

Select all that apply

  • Americans
  • 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?
  • Host Family
  • Professors
  • Field Trips
* What could be improved?
  • Host family location: I don't think anyone should be more than a 20 minute walk from school. My host family was located a 35 minute walk from school.
  • Visa application process: The semester before I attended SUF, I studied abroad at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. It was not until I was already there that the person in charge of visa applications for SUF notified me that I would need to either send my passport overseas for a month so that the US Italian consulate could give me my visa, or return home in the middle of the semester. I really wish that Syracuse had started notifying students of the visa process during the summer. I ended up being able to receive my visa at the Edinburgh Italian consulate, but the person in charge of visa applications at Syracuse really did not give me much helpful information.
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? I only wish I could have budgeted my money better before being at SUF. Lunch and dinner (on the weekends) can sometimes get expensive. But it was all worth it!

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!