Athena Study Abroad Program at Lorenzo de' Medici

I studied abroad in Florence Italy in the fall of 2017 with Athena and it was such an incredible experience! They made sure that I transitioned nicely when I was there, and they were always there to help while I was prepping for the trip. My experience genuinely would not have been the same if it wasn't for Athena being there for me every step of the way. This has impacted my life in so many ways, and I have learned so much through my experience. My number 1 tip would be to use all of the resources that are presented to you.

Athena Abroad gave me all the tools I could have possibly needed in order to have a successful experience during my time abroad. My housing and education were both amazing and Athena consistently checked in to see if there was anything they could do to better my experience was I was in Florence. Athena's team could not have been more helpful or accommodating. Their team was always so quick to respond to my questions and my parents' questions. They gave us step by step instructions on how to navigate through the entire process. If I could go abroad again, I would go with Athena!

Studying abroad presented a huge challenge because I am such a homebody. I wanted to see the world but I was hesitant to leave my family and familiarity. Since I chose an independent program, I didn't have any friends to accompany me in my travels. I was so nervous to be alone. I did not expect to meet people I didn't want to leave. I have friends from studying abroad that live all across the states. I've already visited them three times since leaving Italy! I miss Florence SO much. I'd give anything to be back in the streets that smell of panini and fresh bread. Studying abroad has made this homebody itch with the travel bug. I've kept an entire journal of useful tips! For those of you about to study abroad - get out every single day to do something new. That could just be trying a new café, but experience every little detail your country has to offer.

I was very happy with my decision to study abroad with Athena's LDM Florence program. The best part of Athena's program is their commitment to the students they are helping. If you work with them, you are guaranteed to receive individualized attention and a strong support system throughout the entire study abroad process. The program at LDM was also great at setting up students with very helpful and knowledgable advisors for the time spent in Florence. The courses were both challenging and engaging and my professor ended up being one of my favorites from my undergrad. I was initially unsure about the Athena program because it was smaller and I was unable to complete the program I had originally wanted to do in Paris. However, they were so kind in working with me to ensure that I found another place to study abroad and made sure that I had an amazing experience. I would strongly recommend them to anyone.

I studied abroad in Florence at LDM for spring semester 2018. The Athena staff were really friendly and it is a small company so you feel like you're important to them. The only downside of being a small company is that you don't get to know the people that you're going with beforehand. My roommates all went through their school's programs, so they knew a lot of people who were going beforehand.

Florence is a beautiful city and Italy is a great country to study in. I recommend traveling EVERY weekend or as much as you can because the semester does go by really fast. I also recommend the LDM field trips that are included with Athena's program. Everyone else had to pay $300 or so, but I liked that mine was included in my tuition. I definitely recommend the Amalfi Coast trip, but DON'T miss the bus!

LDM is a great school for many programs. However, their policies are not the best. You can only miss 2 classes before your grade goes down and if you miss 4, you automatically get an F. If I could do the semester over again, I would have studied at a school that is more lenient with absences.

I LOVED Florence and everyone I met there and I would definitely recommend studying here to anyone!

Studying abroad in Florence was like a dream. The historically and culturally rich atmosphere made every moment fantastic. I can say that I also have a greater appreciation for various art forms, including architecture. Athena was personal in their support, both in pre-departure and during the program. One of the aspects that made living in Florence truly special was the amazing host family that I stayed with. Not only were they the most kind and welcoming people, they have also been hosting students for many years. I lived with and experienced a new city with people from all across the world. That in itself was valuable to be exposed to diverse global perspectives. I also really enjoyed the classes I took from LDM.

I always wanted to study abroad in Italy! I went to my university's study abroad office and saw they only had one option in Italy. I wanted more out of my study abroad experience than my school was offering, that is when I came across different outside agencies to study abroad through. I found Athena Study abroad and I am so glad that I did!

Athena worker's truly care about the students they work with. My advisor (Brooke) addressed me by name, worked with me during the application progress, promptly called me back and responded to emails, and even helped me when I had a few struggles while I was abroad.

Athena also offered field trips to their students which was an amazing experience and bonus to see more than what my study abroad city had to offer!

If you're looking to customize your study abroad experience to the fullest, working with people that know what they're doing and are there to help you with anything that comes up, Athena study abroad is the way to go!

Studying abroad was my first experience flying in an airplane, leaving the country, traveling by train, using the metro, taking a taxi, showcasing my art in a Piazza and taking photos for a fashion show and more. I was living my dream and it was surreal to be living in Florence, the home of renaissance art. I am an art major and I loved being surrounded my historical artworks. I'm so thankful for the Athena Study Abroad program for making these experiences possible.