155 reviews
4.08 / 5 based on 155 reviews
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L B
Student life
Describe host city:
Students interact with the local community without much university involvement
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Activities, Nightlife, Travel: Takes place mostly outside the university/student environment
Personal social experience
Personal comments
I'm not a big clubber or bar hopper, but there are a ton of bars in which to get drunk and blow all your cash (that was almost double b/c of the exchange rate) on and go home with an either good looking or skeevy foreign guy! Go to all the muesuems- it's Florence- they're amazing! So much art and history, it;s mind blowing! Also, travel, travel, travel! All over Italy and Europe! The train is really easy to use in Italy and not so expensive, you can go to almost any Italian city! But, trains are notoriously always late arriving and departing in Italy, and staff at the stations are not usually helpful in my opinion. Also, the people who hang around the stations (especially in Florence and Bologna) are really, really creepy and dangerous. Ladies: be really careful and don't go alone, and be careful of the underground areas....
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6
L B
Housing
Type of housing: Student Hotel (Medici)
Arranged by: Independently - My choice
If returning, I would choose: Apartment/House
Why?
Although I love the hotel accoms, I did not connect with the other 10 American exchange students living there; so at first, I was really lonely and depressed. But, I met my friends through classes and my classmates. My friends lived in the program-arranged apartments and it was just a better arrangement. They were cheaper, closer to the classes, and easier to meet people and connect with roomates. Plus, there were no laundry facilities at the hotel, and it's not fun dragging bags of laundry on 2 bus trips and through Florence as creepy men leer at you because your bra has trailed out of the laundry bag....
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Personal comments
Apartments were varied in appearance and size, but all the ones I saw were privately owned and all over the city. People were generally happy with their roommate circumstances and facilities.
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1
L B
Expenses
Main source of funding:
Family
Other sources of funding:
Personal savings
Work opportunities:
It was not legal for me to work
Personal spending habits
Exchange rate is bad for Americans. I blew my entire savings account on shopping and travel. But, you can find cheap things there like amenities and clothing.
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Food:
was the same price as at home.
Telephone, Housing, Nightlife, Travel, Overall:
was less expensive than at home.
Accessibility of student needs
Second-hand household items
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1
L B
Academic
Course recommendations
The courses are all great! But, too many annoying and spoiled Americans students. It's hard to find cool foreign students to chill with.
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My academic experiences
Interaction with teachers
Interaction with international students
Interaction with local students
Personal comments
It's hard to study when you're traveling and hanging out all the time! But, I really enjoyed my courses, I learnt so much and the professors are really cool and sweet (they're like kinda family), not stand offish like in America. Classes were generally easy and not demanding, and American style with some papers and two exams.
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My opinion of the university assessment
Exams throughout the course
Essays and/or projects at the end of course
Essays and/or projects throughout the course
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0
L B
Overall
I wish I had known...
That it is really hard to meet people at this school if you do not come with your university or with friends of your own. It really makes you grow up fast and become independent. Italy, while being one of the most magnificent places on earth, is a very difficult and bureacratic country to live in.
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In my opinion:
I loved it but I'm not sure everybody would.
Important factors in my choice
(1) Unimportant – (4) Very important
Personal recommendation
The University is great! Great courses and profs. But, it's spread out between like 3 small buildings with a few rooms and there is no campus. Also, it is hard to get stuff done b/c administration is not really helpful and very bureacratic.
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During my experience abroad, I ...
(1) Never – (4) A lot
Became familiar with another culture
Met people from other countries
Experienced a change in life
Advanced my studies & career
Final comments
I loved it- it was an amazing experience. I was really homesick and depressed and lonely at first, but I soon met some great people (including my best friend to this day), and I'm so happy I stayed! Try to meet and mingle with as many Italians and other foreign people as possible!
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0
L B
Languages
Language of instruction: English
Was learning English a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't.
Language difficulties
Administrative / Institutional
Personal comments
I took Italian for 2 years before I left, was a deciding factor in me going there to complete my required third year. Everyone basically speaks English in Florence b/c there are Americans everywhere. But, if you're willing to learn Italian and try it your speaking skills will improve big time! It's hard though to meet Italians to speak to for more than a requisite 5 minute conversation.
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