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Ready to explore what an AIFS Abroad program in Italy is like? We recently connected with Wednesday from Texas Woman’s University, who studied abroad in the Renaissance city of Florence during the spring semester.
Discover how Wednesday’s study abroad experience in Florence helped her grow as a person and pursue her artistic dreams!
Choosing a Study Abroad Destination
Deciding where to study abroad can be tough—especially when there are so many amazing cities around the world to choose from! As an art student, choosing Florence was a no-brainer for Wednesday:
“I would recommend Florence, Italy, to an art student because there are so many opportunities to gain a deeper understanding of art. Florence was the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance and is home to so many influential artworks. My program offered various art classes that could appeal to studio art majors/minors: painting, drawing, photography, and art history/museum-centered courses. This is the main reason I chose Florence. I had always wanted to visit Italy, so I figured studying in central Italy would open the door for me to visit other cities throughout this country (it did)!”
Academics Abroad
AIFS Abroad has four Global Education Centers (GEC) located throughout Europe. Each of these international education institutions offers site-oriented curricula for study abroad students seeking unique coursework or center-based support. Our Florence GEC was a perfect fit for Wednesday:
“I studied at the Global Education Center (GEC) in Florence, Italy. This was a very small, homey place. It was an old building that supposedly belonged to the family of Mona Lisa, and was turned into our school! I loved the location. The walls and ground floor have an old-timey feel. The art studio classes were on the first floor, while all of the other classes were upstairs on the second floor with our library, front desk, and computer area… It quickly became a place of comfort away from home… I loved every second of it.”
Wednesday took four classes: The Role of Women in Italy, Intermediate Painting, Italy Sketchbook, and Elementary Italian I. Below, Wednesday describes her classes in Florence:
“Every single one of my classes stood out. I have not had such amazing professors and courses like the ones I had abroad, and I genuinely cannot choose a favorite. My Italy Sketchbook class was in Giardino di Boboli one day, which was very memorable.
All of my professors abroad made the effort to get to know me. The most significant difference would be the workload I was given. While studying in Florence, I only had actual homework for my Italian language course. In all, my main grades were based on midterm exams, final exams, overall effort in art studio courses, and participation. I felt more expectations were placed on me to participate in my classes abroad than in the ones at my home university. We did a lot of group/partner discussions in my non-art studio courses.”
Language Learning
While many college students, like Wednesday, choose to learn a second language while studying abroad, doing so is not required. Hear Wednesday describe her experience learning Italian in Italy:
“So, for my program in Florence, Italy, I did not need to know Italian in advance to be eligible to participate in my program. In fact, I did not know much Italian upon my arrival in Florence. I took an intensive Italian language class for beginners [upon arrival], and my language skills improved drastically. Within just the first few classes, I was able to practice speaking to local Italians in their language. It was not perfect, but the more I ordered food in Italian or made small talk with strangers, the more I was able to build my language skills. My advice when it comes to learning a new language is to try your best and practice. In my experience, Italian people were very patient and encouraging when I tried to build my Italian skills with them. Also, if you do not practice, you will have a harder time learning. Practice does truly make progress.”
For students like Wednesday, practicing a second language with locals is not only an opportunity to advance language skills, but to experience personal growth too:
“I grew the most as a person when I would randomly find the courage to speak to Italian locals in Italian. I was eager to practice my language skills, and I was able to form connections and learn new things about people. I vividly remember complimenting an elderly woman’s red loafers in incorrect Italian. She was sweet and walked with me to tell me about how loafers are a ‘classic’ shoe and others are ‘brutto,’ or ugly, and she pointed to a man’s pair of shoes. I missed some of the things she said, but I later realized my grammar mistake when telling her, ‘Mi piace la tua scarpe’ (singular) instead of, ‘Mi piacciono le tue scarpe’ (plural). I have had several interactions similar to this and now these random people have become integral parts of my growth.”
Budgeting Abroad
Finances can be a concern for those who want to study abroad but aren’t sure about pricing and expenses. First, there’s the cost of the program to consider, then you have to think about budgeting while you’re abroad.
Fortunately, AIFS Abroad not only offers competitive, inclusive pricing, but we also encourage students to apply for our range of scholarships, which can help lighten the financial load. Additionally, we recommend our participants speak with their school’s Financial Aid office about applying an existing financial aid package to their program abroad—if it’s approved, we’ll accept it!
Wednesday offers the following advice about budgeting during a semester abroad:
“I used financial aid for my entire semester abroad. Initially, I did not budget it well until I started to run out of funds. When I had a month left of my time abroad, I realized I needed to be cautious with how I spent my remaining money. I created a budget calendar where I estimated how much money I would spend on each day of the rest of my trip. This was extremely helpful.
My advice for future students would be to budget your money before arriving in your host country or at the beginning of your time abroad. I will also say—if you can help it—don’t restrict yourself. I am a very cheap, frugal person. This experience was once in a lifetime, and without the help of financial aid, I would not have been able to pursue my study abroad trip. I took complete advantage of the money I was given and ‘treated’ myself to things that I usually would not. Definitely set aside emergency money—but also think about whether or not you will regret buying (or not buying) something.”
Housing
Housing is included in all AIFS Abroad programs, which takes a lot of the stress out of planning! Listen to Wednesday describe her experience in a shared apartment:
“I lived in a two-story apartment in Florence, Italy with 5 other people. There were three bedrooms and three bathrooms, so there were two girls to a room/restroom. I absolutely loved my accommodations… We had special staircases, heated floors, and so many other amenities that are not common in a standard Italian household. It was the perfect amount of space for six girls and quickly became my new home. I felt an immense amount of comfort and gratitude in my student apartment.”
Cultural Appreciation
When you study or intern abroad, you’ll have ample opportunities to immerse yourself in the local culture. Many college students come to appreciate the cultural differences, even if they struggle with these changes at first. Wednesday’s experience in Italy was flushed with moments of cultural appreciation, as she explains:
“I really admired the trust that Italian people in Florence demonstrated. Businesses trusted me, a stranger, to return their glass takeout containers and to ‘pay them back next time’ when I did not have enough euros to pay. It was a very special thing. I really enjoyed seeing Italian people appreciate the little things in their lives, as well. Having a good piece of fruit and being able to sit in the sun for a while and draw, or read, is something that I was able to [incorporate] into my routine at home. The U.S. has a harmful productivity mindset, and we are always on the go. Living in Italy for three months helped me relax and realize my responsibilities are not going to go anywhere, and that I should take advantage of opportunities to appreciate quiet moments in my fast-paced life.”
Trips and Excursions
Many AIFS Abroad programs include trips and excursions outside your host city. These trips enable you to learn more about your host country and take part in enriching activities, all while you bond with fellow AIFS Abroad participants. Below, Wednesday describes her experience:
“I participated in the field trips to Rome and Venice. These were beneficial to my overall experience because these were cities I wanted to visit, and the program created itineraries in advance that would have been stressful for me to plan on my own… it was a massive load off my shoulders to have my entire weekend planned out.”
In addition to AIFS Abroad trips, you’re welcome to travel as much as you like when you’re not in class. Wednesday enjoyed a few trips by herself:
“My favorite weekend trip was a solo trip to Ireland. I went to Dublin, County Clare, and Galway. I really appreciated the trips I took alone because they gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about myself and what I like/dislike. This trip was very refreshing. I met the nicest people here and had the best meal of my life (an Indian dish at ‘Diwali’ in Dublin). I saw the Cliffs of Moher, which were incredible, and I was lucky enough to have gone on a clear, sunny day. My view of the cliffs was otherworldly. I also traveled to Montepulciano, Italy, because my favorite Twilight movie was filmed there. I saw the clock tower from The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and got to build my public transportation and Italian language skills here. It was a very comforting, quiet city, and it was a great chance to practice my Italian because I constantly needed directions.”
As Wednesday explains, sometimes a seemingly bad situation can transform into a positive experience you wouldn’t change for anything:
“I missed my train and ticket timeslot to the Palace of Versailles on my birthday trip to Paris, France. I cried because it was the last day and final opportunity for me to see the palace, but I met an elderly woman on a bridge who I shared a very meaningful conversation with. It was an angelic experience because I got to practice my French while also getting to know this random person. We took a photo together at the end of our interaction, which made me feel better about not going to Versailles. If I had gone to Versailles, I would not have met this woman on the bridge.”
Why AIFS Abroad
AIFS Abroad is an incredible option for college students for so many reasons, including: the support of our on-site staff, quality programs located around the world, and impressive program inclusions. Wednesday originally heard about our program by following the journey of her classmate through Instagram, who was participating in an AIFS Abroad program:
“[My classmate’s] program is actually the same one that I ended up doing a year later. AIFS was one of the easiest providers to navigate (website/program search-wise) and offered a lot of extracurricular opportunities that interested me. Also, for my specific program, I was able to find a surplus of art courses that aligned with my degree plan.”
Reflecting on her time abroad, Wednesday was so glad she chose AIFS Abroad, in part thanks to the support of her Program Director in Florence:
“My [Program Director] was very involved in student life. I saw her most days, if not every day, and she always had a delightful look on her face. I did not expect her to have enough time outside of her office to interact with the students much. She was also very supportive during my personal issue of dropping a class. It was a very minuscule problem I faced, but my director made time to speak with me about it and took my concerns very seriously.”
Are you a student ready to take the leap and study abroad like Wednesday did in Florence with AIFS Abroad? We’d love to help you start your journey!
Here at AIFS Abroad, we know a thing or two about helping college students study abroad. Our programs are incredibly inclusive, which takes a lot of the stress out of planning. From coordinating your housing to providing things like cultural and social activities, excursions, comprehensive insurance, 24/7 emergency support, on-site staff, and more, you’ll take comfort in knowing you’ll have support throughout your entire experience abroad.