I would do it again in a heartbeat-- Florence, Italy Past Review
By Elizabeth H (Art History, Criticism and Conservation., Wellesley College) for
Syracuse University: Florence - Syracuse University in Florence
Yes I loved it! But i put a lot into it and think i received a lot back. I had a wonderful host family, teachers and fun traveling and exploring. I wish I could have done the year.
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? |
I loved my host family and was treated as a member of the family, occasionally walking the dog or cooking for myself. I loved them and hope to see them again. |
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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: |
the school has a doctor who comes in and he is great for recommendations of specialists but a little old school in terms of prescriptions for things such as sinus infections etc... Florence is VERY safe when you are smart, but if you are alone and drunk it is not and you are a walking target. for women at night after about 11 it is best to taxi if you alone. Again I never had any problems but some people on the program did. |
| 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) |
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| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | books are very expensive and can really only be purchased at one place. I spent a whole lot on my phone and wish I had used skype more because I probably spent over 200 euro on my phone service. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | none |
| If applicable, to what degree did your living situation aid your language acquisition? |
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| Language acquisition improvement? |
I lived with an italian host family so i spoke to them in italian. I befriended some local vendors who I would speak with and just used it in everyday tasks such as ordering lunch, shopping, traveling, the buses 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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Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Italian 101 |
| Course Department: | |
| Instructor: | Donatelloa Costantini |
| Instruction Language: | italian |
| Comments: | this class was so much fun, not too hard and Donatella is amazing, absolutely amazing. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: |
