AIFS Abroad: Study Abroad in Italy

A semester in Rome with AIFS Study Abroad was more than I could have ever asked for or expected in an experience. I am currently a senior at St. John Fisher College, majoring in Human Resources Management. I never thought I would be able to see so much of the world being from such a small area myself. When abroad AIFS gave me the opportunity to go to 7 countries and 28 cities.
The resident staff at the school truly made the program for me. They went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect for us and that we were all assimilating well. The classes at Richmond were very interesting and challenging. The professors made sure to keep class engaging by bringing you to an onsite location almost every meeting. I mean, how many people can say they learned about Caravaggio paintings and then got to walk 2 minutes and see his breath taking work live and in person.
I would not trade my study abroad experience for anything in world. AIFS is an all inclusive program (meaning the flights, food, and housing is all planned out and included in the price) so it took almost all the stress out of planning for me!

Cities become your home when you get to share the city to your family and friends. One of the best 'aha' moments I had while abroad was when my mom got to visit me about half way through the semester. We were walking around the city and I was sharing everything that I knew about it, simply going on and on about how marvelous it was and why. I would talk about the Duomo and the small piazza by my apartment. My mom was impressed that I not only knew all of this information, but I knew every which way to turn while we were walking. She finally said that "Wow. This truly has become your new home." And it was simple moments like these that I truly miss the most about my time in Florence, Italy.

I had always known going in to college that I wanted to study abroad for a semester sometime during my four years. I chose Italy and immediately also chose Florence because I appreciated that it was a vibrant booming city but also a small city, in hopes that it would feel homey. I wanted to be in a place where another language was spoken. It turned out that many of the cafes I would go into often, the workers would want to help you learn Italian and would help you as you mumbled the little Italian you knew to order a cappuccino.

My next step was choosing which program I wanted to study abroad with. I was initially drawn towards AIFS (American Institute of Foreign Study) because, 1. It was an affiliate program for my school (University of Alabama), 2. It had a great flight package that would allow me to spend 3 days in London prior to arriving in Italy 3. It had a meal plan package that had great reviews and 4. It appeared to include a lot for the cost that was similar to other programs.

I ultimately chose AIFS and all I can say is AIFS went above and beyond everything I expected. It started off with the great flight package which included a 3 day all-inclusive trip to London and then a 5 day orientation in Rome. I really liked having an orientation in another city because in the morning, we would have orientation, and then in the afternoon, we got to explore the city, go the Vatican, etc.

The meal plan WAS OUT OF THIS WORLD. IT WAS INCREDIBLE! There is no better way to experience the culture of Italy than being able to eat at about 25 different restaurants throughout the city each night. Each restaurant ranged from a meal "gift card" or a set menu. And these restaurants had incredible food. It may have helped me gain a few pounds, but I also got to explore some of Italy's best food for no price. I know so many other students studying abroad that ended up cooking pasta and sauce for dinner every night to save money, whereas my friends and I got to go out to eat each night of the week.

AIFS also had an incredible and friendly staff to help you out if you need them, and planned many social events including volunteering the local schools, colleges, etc.; social nights with local Italians to practice your Italian and meet other students; free trips to the Italian country side as well as a 3 day trip to Venice; and even got to stay right on the river in an Italian style apartment. I’m telling you, AIFS did an incredible job of making sure we had every opportunity to fully engage in the Italian culture and I couldn’t have asked for anything better. With that, I urge anyone reading this to go for it and GO STUDY ABROAD.

Ciao! This program with Rome was an amazing and life changing experience. Throughout my time abroad the onsite staff continued to make sure we were immersed in the local culture. I got to travel to so many Italian cities and experience them how the locals do. In Naples I got to eat at one of the first pizzerias, ever. In Rome we had the chance to take cooking classes to continue eating this amazing food upon returning home.
The resident director, Rosanna, was amazing. You could always go to Rosanna to talk about academics, living situations, or personal situations and she would welcome you with open arms.
Choosing AIFS was the perfect fit for me and my study abroad experience.

The greatest day of my experience abroad was only made possible by AIFS. AIFS provided excursions that were included with the program to different places all over the country. For one weekend, they brought us down to the Amalfi Coast. This is a gorgeous stretch of coastline on the east of Italy. For one day, they took us all to a gorgeous island off the coast called Capri and to this day, it stands firmly on top as the best day of my life. Exploring an island off the coast of Italy with all of my new friends was the pinnacle of an amazing experience that was only made possible by AIFS.

I had the best time in florence on the three week, Maymester program. I took Italian food and culture and I actually learned a ton and really enjoyed the class. We did have work, but it was very manageable and did not detract from my experience at all. The teacher was very relaxed and new that we were there to have a good time in florence and to explore the city. The program itself was so well structured and there were activities set up for us to attend every day that were really really fun--like pizza making, a walking tour, and one of our last nights we all went to a castle and had a lovely wine tasting and dinner together as a group. The program is truly jam-packed and non-stop, in the best way. And the housing is much much nicer than I expected. I was in a huge apartment with 6 other girls. It was so nice with a really nice kitchen and living room. The apartment was very clean, well kept, and very well located--we were in the middle of everything. I cannot recommend this program enough--it exceeded my expectations and could not have gone better.

One of my favorite stories from abroad comes from the week my family visited me. I want to start by saying that your goal abroad should be to make friends with anyone you meet and try to brighten their day.

We walked into a restaurant and were seated by a waiter who wasn't exactly rude, but he wasn't very friendly either. My family is a little overwhelming (even though there were only five of us) and we can be pretty loud. As the waiter left to get our drinks, my dad says "We are going to make him love us by the end of this dinner". We all laughed and agreed thinking that we could at least get him to smile maybe and have a conversation that consisted of more than a couple words.

We started off by asking his name and what his favorite dish was. We eventually asked him where he was from, where his favorite place in Sorrento was, about his family and other easy questions. Little by little he would share more with us. I think he especially loved when we asked his opinions on dishes we ordered.

He loved my sisters and me and by the end of the night he was kissing the three of us on the cheek! He gave us postcards from the restaurant and was extremely flattered when we asked if he could sign them. We then asked to get a picture and he was adorably happy to.

I like to share this story to encourage people to get to know the locals and others around them. Your immersion in the culture that you are visiting or studying in is completely up to you and you get out what you put in. Make it your goal to make friends with everyone you meet including drivers, waiters, hotel employees, anyone! Expanding horizons is what being abroad is about!

My study abroad experience was everything I hoped it would be and so much more. The staff for Richmond was fantastic and helped us ease into the culture. I loved experiencing the culture and being able to travel to so many different countries. I would have loved to spend more time there. I made so many friends that are the only ones that understand what the experience was really like. I couldnt have asked for anything more from the program or the living situation they provided me with. The best 5 months of my life!

December 1st, 2006, generally a wintery day to me, was sunny and warm and we got the chance to go picking olives. Two old gentlemen workers didn't think a bunch of females could work like they did and they grumbled in Italian about it. By the time we quit mid afternoon, they were impressed. Old doors were laid flat on saw horses, tablecloth thrown on, and a rustic lunch was served outdoors. These two old men were smiling, and although they didn't speak English, and none of our group spoke Italian enough to know what they were saying most of the time, we understood the camaraderie that grew that day as they kept pouring us more wine and offering more food. It is one of my favorite memories of my time in Florence.
I felt at home in Firenze. I felt safe. I felt like I could live the rest of my life in Italy and be happy. The best thing I ever did in my life was to choose Florence for study abroad.