Summer in the Historic Center of the Italian Renaissance Past Review
By A student (The College of William and Mary) - abroad from 05/25/2012 to 06/23/2012 with
William and Mary: Florence - Summer Program in Florence, Italy
A real appreciation for the city of Florence and Italian culture. It was definitely worth it to get to go to Italy. But I don't necessarily think this program was the best.
Personal Information
| If you took classes at multiple universities, list those universities here: | LinguaViva |
| 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 2 courses, while relevant and interesting, were not difficult for any reason other than they lasted from 9:00 to 17:00 |
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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? |
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| * Food: |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I've compared my homestay experience with the experience of my friends who stayed in dorms and it's very clear that immersion is achieved by living with a family. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
I got strep 1 week before the program ended and the program found me a doctor, and I was prescribed antibiotics with extreme ease. |
| * Safety: |
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| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
No
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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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| * Was housing included in your program cost? | Yes |
| * Was food included in your program cost? | Yes |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 100 Euro |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Make a daily food budget and stick to it. Don't bother spending money on things that you don't need (e.g. don't go out to dinner when dinner is provided every night by your program, or don't spend excessive amounts on expensive alcohol at bars.) |
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 |
The program did less to encourage me than my roommate and my own personal motivation and the fact that our host mom spoke exclusively Italian. But we were the only ones in that position - other students' host families spoke in English to them. |
| 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? | NA |
| 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? | Try to speak with your roommate/fellow students/shop keepers/host family as much as you can. Even if it's hard and you aren't very good. It definitely benefits you, and native speakers of the language tend to appreciate your efforts. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
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* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
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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? | Any Italian. |
