AIFS Abroad in Florence, Italy: Semester

Studying abroad was the best decision I've ever made. I would encourage everyone to do it. I was able to make lifelong friends and travel to so many amazing places. Even though it has already been two years since I went (time flies!) it still feels like yesterday that I went. When you expose yourself to a new culture and lifestyle you learn an exponential amount of stuff about yourself that you're not able to learn in the classroom. You are faced daily with real life situations and discover many different aspects of the culture that you are not able to read in books or see in pictures.

I had expectations going into studying abroad and AIFS completely exceeded my expectations! The staff was so helpful, the classes were easy which allow you to really enjoy your time abroad, the living situation was great and the people were amazing! It was awesome having a sort of "meal plan" for restaurants around Florence. It allowed me to enjoy all that Italy had to offer without worrying about spending my money. I really enjoyed going to London and Siena at the beginning of the semester and really get to know everyone in the program. If you're going to go abroad in Florence, Italy, AIFS is definitely the program to go with!!

This program was more than I even expected. From the amazing experience of living with a family and getting to know them, to the staff's helpfulness for everyday life, this program had it all! I specifically enjoyed the meal program and getting to know the restaurants around Florence! Il Teatro was our favorite and the owner and head waitress became a second family to us! I also loved the opportunities the school provided to different places, games, and the cooking classes, which were my favorite! AIFS in Florence thought of everything and made a seemless transition and experience in a new place!

Writing about my experience going abroad brings back so many wonderful memories. If I could tell you anything, it would be to just go, study abroad and see the world, go not knowing anyone and with high expectations! Just a forewarning though, those expectations will be blown out of the water! The experience of studying abroad was life changing and by far the best thing I have done in my 22 years of life. The AIFS staff was absolutely incredible from beginning to end. I applied after the deadlines and with the help of all of their amazing staff was able to get everything together and two months later I found myself on a plane to Europe! The program leaders were extremely knowledgeable and helpful with everything from how to get to certain places, to recommending local places to enjoy apertivo, to setting up cultural activities like attending the florentina soccer games/the opera/cooking classes/ museum tours, etc, they were very concerned about our safety, AIFS's 2 week orientation course that focused on mastering the Italian language was great because I had no previous Italian language skills, the professors were extremely knowledgeable about the courses they taught, the meal plan was out of this world (I ended up gaining a couple pounds and having to buy all new pants, but every bite was worth it), the housing accommodations were perfect and I had a wonderful time getting to know and living with four girls in our own apartment. I could go on and on forever about my experiences abroad, the four months I spent in Florence, Italy will always hold a special place in my heart, and I thank AIFS for making every second possible and truly blowing my expectations out of the water!

My time in Florence was one of the best times of my life. While it was there, at times it was hard to see how amazing it was because I was preoccupied with worrying about things happening back home. But in the end, I realized how incredible the experience really was. Living in the city and experiencing the Italian way of life was something that most people never get to do, and something I will probably never get to do again. I discovered some of my favorite foods and restaurants during my time abroad, and made some lifelong friends who I shared unrepeatable experiences with.

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.

The AIF Florence program was absolutely amazing. Not only did I learn a lot, but we were given far more opportunities then other study abroad programs in Florence. Many other programs didn't have room or board, but we had amazing apartments, and our meal plan was through authentic italian restaurants in Florence. We also got to go on day-trips with the school for little or no cost -- we went to Cinque Terre for 15 euro and Pisa for free! The staff at the school was incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. If I had the choice to do it all over again, I'd still pick AIF Florence.

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!