Program Reviews

I spent the spring semester of my Junior year at SRISA. I studied cinema and photography at my home institution so I really enjoyed the photography class, but all the classes were interesting and the professors are even better! The school is very small so there is a chance to get to know almost everyone. Florence is an amazing city to get to live and learn in (though it got a bit colder in the winter than I expected!) Many classes brought us around the city and the school also had lots of great optional trips around Italy.
I couldn't recommend this school highly enough!

It was wonderful. I was able to learn and study all while exploring he great city of Florence. The school was wonderful. The professors were amazing, knowedgable, helpful, and friendly. The housing was great. We had various apartments throughout Florence that were spacious and nice. The school was informative about safety and gave tips for exploring the city. As well as having a few optional trips planned for students to attend.

I attended SRISA for the Spring 2017 semester. It was an absolutely unforgettable experience. The classes were intriguing and the professors were even better. The SRISA facilities are extremely nice and I thoroughly enjoyed developing photos in the photography lab. The school offers a lot more other than just classes. There are excursions, speaker series, and so much more that the school offers to make sure you feel comfortable and acclimated to life in Italy. I recommend SRISA to anyone wanting to study abroad in the beautiful city of Florence.

One of my favorite experiences while abroad, and in my entire life, was my trip to Cinque Terre, specifically Monterosso. It was like walking in a dream, even to this day the whole experience feels like a dream, but it was most definitely reality. In Monterosso, we were dropped off by a ferry and went straight for the beach. The town had beautifully colored houses that were compactly arranged up the mountains of Cinque Terre. What we didn't know was how "out of this world gorgeous" it was going to be. We went in the salty Ligurian Sea, which was vast and surrounded by over grown, green mountains. The water was a perfect temperature for the warm day and once you walked a few feet in there was a deep drop off you could swim freely in. What an experience, it filled my heart with unimaginable joy.

The staff is extremely caring and supportive through whatever you need. The teachers expect a lot from you, challenge you, but are also understanding and caring. Preplanned field trips are well worth the money and an incredible experience. I started in the fall and loved it so much I stayed for the spring semester.

This is a small art school in the heart of Florence Italy. No matter how serious of an art student you are the professors at this school will challenge you. The support staff at SRISA are extremely helpful and you never feel like you are alone. If you don't speak italian they are especially helpful, as is the italian professor. I really can't say enough about how welcome they made our small class feel just this past fall semester.

Art wise you are looking at renaissance and classical revival stuff, obviously as it is Florence Italy. There are a few modern art venues but be aware you and about 4,000 tourists everyday are there to look at Donatello's sculpture, or Michelangelo's david etc...

The language barrier is hard to conquer in four months and be aware you will have to put in some serious effort for the Italian to open up to you. Obviously it is more enriching to make those international friendships but you can also get around by speaking English.

There are no water bottles in Europe, no free public restrooms either. Eating out is very expensive. Be prepared for a lot of pasta, pizza, and beef stew. Bring appropriate footwear for cobblestones. Bring pants or skirts below the knee in order to enter churches. It does get cold so consider a semi heavy coat and lots of layering options.

The SRISA staff and teachers were always so friendly and helpful, they really treat you like family. They welcome you into their homes and teach you about life and culture. The art program was phenomenal. The teachers pushed you to explore a variety of new mediums. They also encouraged you to step out of your comfort zone and explore. SRISA made sure that students were safe and secure at all times.

What better school to attend abroad in Florence, Italy than SRISA? I had the most phenomenal time studying here. The school is filled with professors and staff members, who are extremely genuine and generous, that know the country inside out from the cultural traditions to the history. The classes are fairly small so the professors give you their full attention in class as well as one on one help. The teachers are passionate about their craft so you will get the full knowledge as long as you take your courses and time at the school serious. The people in Florence are so outgoing and just all around wonderful. There is so much to do and see so make sure you go to the pubs, the clubs, museums, tour other cities and countries, and look up things to do within the city. Come with an open mind and broaden your horizons.

SRISA was a wonderful place to spend two months this past summer. Class sizes were small and intimate; this ultimately allowed for students and professors to connect on both a professional and personal level. I was lucky enough to leave SRISA with several new mentors who cared deeply about me and my future success as a student and as an individual. Courses are fast paced and interesting - assignments typically came only at the end of each session. Consequently, it was essential to buckle down and focus on really performing well on final examinations and composing quality works of writing for final papers. You will get out of each course what you put into it. If you approach your courses thinking you can just "slack off" because "it's study abroad" then you're doing it all wrong. Take the academics seriously but definitely remember the importance of a good social life - go out, explore, travel, meet new people, and have fun. SRISA staff and professors were caring and showed the utmost respect to all students who attended their school. If you're looking for an intimate place to study abroad, I would recommend this program for you!

I had a very successful time at this school. I was there for two months in the summer, and had a great time. My session was on the smaller side so I get a good amount of personal attention from teachers. The most important thing that I realized while at SRISA is this: yes, you can focus less on the academics and make projects easier for yourself and you will most likely still receive an "A". However, the projects are always very open to interpretation, and you will have the opportunity to attempt more difficult ideas that challenge you more and are great practice for forming stronger concepts with your work. At SRISA, I was able to devote my time to trying new things with my work and get honest feedback about it, and it really did change how I approach my work and my projects. I am thankful to my teachers for that.