Unforgettable! Past Review
By orbislunae (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
I've learned to be more outgoing, learned the basics of the navigating a foreign country, and made friends I will not forget!
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | None |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Learned a lot and the coursework was not challenging. |
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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? |
Staying with a host family was the best part of the trip. It made us learn the language and experience the food and culture more extensively. |
| * Food: |
Florence has no equal in terms of food. |
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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? |
I had no issues, and there was a farmacia at every corner for over the counter medications. |
| * Safety: |
I felt very safe in Florence. |
| 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) |
Plan to spend money... But food in Florence is not overpriced as much as in Rome and Venice. It was easy to spend less than 5e for lunch. |
| * 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? | $150-250 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Take out a larger sum of money at once and then ration it. You will be charged more money by taking smaller amounts multiple times from ATMs. |
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? | - |
| 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? | Order food in Italian and go to the market to practice. Italians are very helpful and jovial. |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
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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? |
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? | Basic Italian |
