Spend Fall at NYU Florence

I loved studying abroad at NYU Florence. The campus was incredibly beautiful and was much more of a community than NYU New York. The staff is incredibly supportive and involved. There were events almost every night such as La Pietra Dialogues Educational talks and Cupcakes and Color. NYU Florence also brought us on trips around Italy! My favorite was to Cinque Terre, where we went hiking with our resident assistance, Eduardo. My professors were very involved, knowing every student on a first and last name basis. They were extremely concerned with using Florence as a platform for learning. I took Cultural Foundations III and Social Foundations III while abroad. I got to study text about the culture and history of Italy while being able to directly visit and seeing the pieces and places. I had Elementary Intensive Italian three days a week with Monica Merli, who was incredibly understanding and kind; she did an amazing job of teaching us a brand new language. I volunteered at Casa San Felice, taking care of babies for women who were domestic violence victims. I struggled with communicating in Italian, but there was a lot of support from both the NYU Florence community and native Italians. I lived in an apartment near the Duomo on Via Ricasoli. It was a beautiful apartment and I would always hear music and crowds of excited tourist from the street. Living in Italy was a big change for me; I'd never left New York before and it was my first time on a plane. At first it was incredibly scary, but you start to make a home of the city. Italy is a beautiful place and very easy to fall in love with. The culture is different- but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth learning or experiencing. My favorite memory was in the south of Italy, in a small town near the Amalfi Coast called Vietri Sul Mare. There were no tourist, just me and two girl friends. We spent all day on the black sand beach with natives. I spent hours watching a father and his baby daughter chasing after their puppy near the shore. It was my favorite moment because the sun was setting and disappearing behind the mountains, the lights in the houses flickered on, and it felt like pure peace. In Italy, I experienced the kindest of individuals. It really is a beautiful, loving culture, and I've learned a lot from it.

A big tip is to remember that you are in someone else's country, someone else's home. They do not owe you anything- you are there to learn and respect them. Remember to keep your valuables to yourself because there are a lot of pick pocketors. Use GoEuro for transportation and Italo and Transitalia have special train deals on the weekends!

Had a great time! NYU Florence is different from main campus has its own campus in the area; it's a little far from the city center but the location is beautiful. They also have a wide selection of cultural programming. The academic program itself was adequately challenging but not too demanding; lectures are mandatory, unlike most courses at main campus. I was able to travel almost every weekend while I was there. Overall, I enjoyed my experience.

Ah Firenze, Florence, the rebirth of the Renaissance. However you refer to it, Florence is a city that surprised me. It wasn't just the amazing art and architecture, but what laid underneath all the grand spectacles.

In the Oltrarno, or the area beyond the Arno river, I explored the artisan shops, shooting for my photojournalism class. Walking nervously up to the door of a woodmaker shop, I knocked on the open door, let myself in and said "Fare una foto, per favore?" or short hand for "Can I take a picture, please?" From there, the older man and his son, both wood artisans, tried to explain what they do in broken English while I tried to explain, along with two of my classmates, what we needed for class. This cultural exchange and mutual bond of trying to communicate really connected me to the city. I saw that if I gave to the city, I received just as much back. Speaking Italian was not my strong point, but the act of trying was successful.

Florence is a city where if you attempt to add to it in some way, it will reward you with these human interactions that compete with the spectacular sights. The David, the Duomo, and all the other churches, and museums were breathtaking, but my conversation with these artisans leaves a steady warmth that continues to make me smile today.

My study abroad experience at NYU in Florence still remains with me two years later as one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Although I did not attend NYU in New York, I had no problems applying to and being accepted into this program.

I chose to stay in a downtown apartment in Florence, rather than on campus or in a homestay. After speaking with students who chose the former options, I truly believe that this was the best decision.

Staying in a homestay in a great way to practice your Italian and see a local way of life. However, you also never know what situation you are about to enter. Your hosts may have young children who enter your room, despite warnings, or a baby that cries the entire night.

Staying on campus has its own set of disadvantages as well. Villa La Pietra is a good 20 minute bus ride from the center of Florence, or a 45 minute walk. The buses run much more infrequently at night, so late nights could turn expensive as the taxi bills add up.

My downtown apartment was an ideal setup. Situated on the same street at the Museo de' Accademia (where the statue of the David is held) I was one street off the Duomo (the giant church the sits as a central landmark) and smack in the center of the city's best sights. Not only were the apartments clean, but there it gave me an opportunity to meet so many different girls living in the building with me. To this day, some of these girls remain my close friends.

The actual program is really what you choose to make of it. I signed up for 3 classes, which is really the perfect amount to take. Everyone is required to take Italian 4 times a week, which is actually extremely helpful. I learned so much from these weekly classes, and all the Italian language teachers are a riot. If you have the opportunity to take Carlo's class, I highly recommend you do so. His humor is similar to Mr. Bean and my classmates and I spent most of our days cracking up at his antics.

In addition to Italian, I took Economics and The History of Italian Fashion. The latter was extremely hard to get into, and filled up in about ten minutes. There was a good reason. We took class weekend trips to Rome, visited the Ferragamo museum and had free access to a vintage market that sold fashion treasures at a quarter of the price.

Economics, and similar business and finance classes were actually very similar to those taught back in the NY campus. I had to study very hard for that class, but since I made that my only challenging course, it was still possible to enjoy Italy with gusto.

As for Florence itself, the city really sells itself. The best pasta and pizza you will ever eat, combined with a love for life New Yorkers are really missing creates an unmissable experience. Sit in the piazzas for hours sipping vino rosso (red wine), or try different cheeses at the mercato centrale (central market). Experience art in every possible form, from The Birth of Venus at the Uffizi, to the David at the Academia, to the street art painted all around the city on walls and sidewalks.

Some highlights of my Italian trip included watching the Fiorentina football team win a game, walking the footpath in Cinque Terre, tasting pesto in Genoa, the birthplace of pesto and incidentally Christoper Columbus. I went to Venice for Carnival, posed at the leaning tower of Pisa and threw a coin in the Trevi Fountain in Rome. I ate pasta and gelato every single day and never thought about my weight (incidentally, most people find that they do not gain much weight in Italy due to the appropriate portion sizes.)

The only challenges that I encountered on my study abroad experience, was not having enough time to travel to all the places I wanted to see.I made it to seven other countries, but never made it below Rome. Make sure to visit other countries on your trip, but don't make the mistake of neglecting your home city and country. Italy has so much to offer, but the beautiful Tuscan countryside, to the glamorous beaches in the South.

The city of Florence is alive with a love of food, art, beauty and life, and you will never forget your experience with NYU in Florence at Villa La Pietra.