AIFS Study Abroad Programs at Richmond in Florence

Studying abroad in Florence, Italy with AIFS remains one of the best decisions I have ever made. My only regret is that I didn't stay there for a year! Right from the start, AIFS made everything so easy. They took care of all my travel arrangements and were readily available to answer any questions that I had. This type of care continued throughout my stay in Italy. The staff at AIFS was a wonderful resource for learning about the Italian culture. There were always fun activities planned for students, from wine tasting and cooking classes to trips to Rome and Venice for Carnivale. In addition to the cultural activities, the required Italian language classes were a HUGE help when it came to communicating with locals and forming international friendships. Aside from the comprehensive nature of AIFS, I chose Florence because I wanted a location that had all the beauty, excitement and culture of a big city, but the charm and warmth of a small Italian village. In my experience, Italians were a very generous, welcoming people who were always willing to help you--even when you were stumbling through their language! There was always something exciting to do in Florence: hiking up to Piazza Michaelangelo to watch the Sunset, dancing to a Beatles tribute band at Bee Bop, savoring gelato on the Ponte Vecchio, exploring the beautiful Boboli Gardens, admiring Michaelangelo's David, enjoying 3 hour long dinners with friends, cheering on the local soccer team Fiorentina, or simply wandering around the city. While abroad, I made lasting friendships with both students and locals. I still consider my host mother Bruna to be my adopted grandma! It was these relationships, combined with the enchanting Italian culture and the organization of AIFS that made my sophomore year of college an exrtaordinary one. I left Florence a much stronger, wiser, courageous, open minded, ambitious and adventurous young woman. I think about my experience abroad almost daily, and it brings a smile to my face everytime.

Studying abroad in Florence with AIFS was the best decision I made during my undergraduate career! The housing, meal plan, cultural excursions and activities were top notch. The classes were taught by Italian faculty members with first-hand knowledge of their subjects. The staff was excellent and available 24/7 for the students. I have recommended this program to many friends and will continue to do so!

My semester in Florence was one of the best experiences of my college career! The classes I got to take through the AIFS were extremely interesting. Learning about art history and then being able to actually visit the sites was incredible. One of the best perks compared to other programs is the meal plan. They set you up with fantastic restaurants that you normally would not go to on a regular basis - friends on other programs were cooking rice in their apartments! The apartments are all in central locations in the city. I lucked out and mine was right near the Ponte Vecchio and 1 minute from school - how much better can it get! I would recommend this program hands down to anyone looking to study abroad. AIFS is fantastic!

When I first arrived in Italy I was extremely excited, nervous and worried thinking the worst because I had never left the United States before. But after a while I got to meet the other students and the staff and I can honestly say that this experience has changed my life forever. I am extremely grateful for having the opportunity to come to a country that I have wanted to visit since I was a little girl. I love being able to walk outside of my apartment and immediately be surrounded by art and history. Everyday you discover something new while exploring the streets of Florence. While here one of my favorite experience's has been getting to know the family I live with. Being able to see an Italian family and how they interact with each other over the past few months has been a wonderful addition to this semester. I have a new opinion of family meals and have been given the chance to try many new foods while living with them. It was a great comfort to be able to talk with a family and get to know them each individually over the months. Their daughter Simona published her very first book "Secretum vitae" in October. It has been a great experience to witness the excitement of the family and to have the chance to be one of the first to read the book. The book is in Italian so I am slowly reading it and it is helping me learn Italian. I believe that every student should experience living in a home stay while studying abroad. When applying to the Richmond program we are warned not to create high expectations. I agree with this because when you get to Italy and experience Italian life you realize any expectations you could of came with were wrong. This is because Italy is different in a way you could never imagine.

My time abroad in Italy through the AIFS Richmond in Florence program was an incredible, life-changing experience! The AIFS and Richmond staff were great- they were extremely supportive both before and during my stay. Our apartment was perfect and located only 3 minutes down the road from the school building. I especially loved the meal card system that Richmond in Florence offered. We got to eat some incredible authentic Italian meals using meal cards that were already paid for. No other program in Florence that I know of did that. The classes and professors were extremely interesting and the cultural activities that the program provided were very diverse and fun! It was amazing getting to learn about a foreign city and culture as you were living and studying there. By the end of the semester, I felt like I was truly a citizen of Florence. I don't regret going abroad with AIFS Richmond for one second!

I was extremely nervous before leaving for my trip abroad. Although, soon after our arival I realized I had nothing to be worried about. My trip was full of adventure, laughs, and even tears(the good kind). The days were always very relaxed with 2-3 classes a day Monday through Thursday. A few nights a week i would go out on the town with my other program members, who I became every close with. There was always something to do and always something to see. It was an unforgettable journey.

an incredible program, with some of the greatest and most unique characteristics of an abroad program, including:
- meal plans: use provided meal cards to dine at some of the greatest restaurants throughout italy. a great way to save money and get exposed to places and people you would not otherwise. restaurant staff look forward to having american students, give you GREAT deals on food because of AIFS' established connections with each restaurant. this opportunity cannot be missed!
- pre-organized trips: Venice, Milan, Rome, Cinque Terre and more!
-extra curriculars: cooking class, wine tastings, vineyard tours, pizza making class, arts and crafts, trips to various cities throughout italy, soccer games- pay with MEAL PLANS- SAVE SO MUCH MONEY THROUGH AIFS!
- housing is incredible!

AIFS has left me with hands down the best experience of my entire life that I will never forget. Studying Abroad is always a great experience but going through AIFS has changed my life in the most positive way possible. The classes that were offered were all interesting and fairly simple to complete as long as some effort was put in. The teachers all spoke English (some broken English but not difficult to understand) The hours for the classes were great and all teachers were helpful and understanding. The staff at AIFS were always willing to assist me with an issues I was facing from homesickness, to health issues, to a reccommendation to a good restaurant. These people gave me a family away from home and were available 24 hours a day. A major positive that AIFS has compared to other programs (A friend of mine went through a different program and was jealous of this aspect) was that we had a 2 week orientation in a different part of the country where we took the language for 2 weeks prior to starting our semester. While there, I was able to meet and become friends with all of the students in my program. Other programs throw you into school right away and those people have seemed to find a difficult time adjusting and making friends. AIFS also includes a few weekend trips to see the country in which you are staying in and include great tour guides. These trips include transportation and stay. If I have one thing to say to anyone reading this, it is to GO ABROAD WITH AIFS. They have single handedly impacted my life forever.

Absolutely one of the most memorable and amazing experiences! From the beautiful scenery to the delicious food, everything was perfect! AIFS is a wonderful, safe, educational and extremely entertaining program. I wouldn't have changed a thing. You are NEVER bored and are constantly experiencing different things everyday.

Prior to college I knew I wanted to study abroad. When it finally came the time I was bombarded with a list of different programs and unsure I which to go with. My main concerns included getting the most for my money, inclusive experiences, and meals. AIFS provided me with the best opportunity. During orientation, we were able to go on weekly trips throughout the area of Lido di Camaiore. Whether it was open markets, see the leaning tower of Pisa, I feel like I saw so much in just two short weeks. Once in Florence, AIFS ensured that we were educated on safety rules. They would even email us to remind us about important information. The school provided us with ample internet access and the program directed us to getting our own internet access at home if we wanted it. The meal plan was by far the greatest bonus of the program. I was worried about spending so much extra money on food, it was Italy after all. The meal plan AIFS provided us with was amazing. We were giving meal tickets each month that allowed us to not only explore traditional Italian cuisine but also provided us with an array of different restaurants and cafes. We had trips to Venice and Rome within the program and aside from the organization of the trip being so easy for me as a student. I was able to learn about these areas through the help of guiding staff but we were also given plenty of free time to explore and experience the cities. It has been almost 3 years since I visited Florence and to this day I feel like I was there just yesterday. I miss all the teachers and staff and hope to one day visit them again. Between holiday dinners and our good bye dinner, everyone in the program became this diverse family. I was able to make life long friends that I am able to visit and stay in close contact with. In the beginning the great difficulty I had was not knowing how to get around and missing my family. By the end of the semester, I felt like I knew Florence better than my hometown and I wished I could stay for one more semester.