Fashion student goes abroad for the first time!

I studied abroad this past Spring Semester in Florence, Italy through SAI. I ultimately chose this program because they got their start in Italy--specifically Florence--so I knew they had experience and great connections with the city. I also chose this program because they offered a lot of Fashion-specific courses which fit in with my academic major. I loved how most of the FUA professors were not merely academics by trade, but rather experienced professionals in their respective fields. For example, my Fashion Marketing professor was the marketing director of her family's leather goods company and was able to provide a lot of insight, feedback, and suggestions with real world application and relevance. I also liked that our courses were supplemented with out of the classroom field trips, which helped to reinforce what we had learned about in class earlier in the semester. Prior to my study abroad experience, I had never traveled outside the United States so I was very nervous and unsure of myself, but after a few weeks I began to grow more independent and confident in myself. This was especially true, living and studying in a country where English was not the primary language. You have to learn to do your research (especially when traveling in or outside your home country) in advance because you can't rely on the Internet and smart phones the same way you can here! This experience made me appreciate a new culture as well as my own, and helped shed light on global issues and the different global perspectives regarding those issues. Lastly, it allowed me to travel to many different places in and outside of Italy giving me so many memories to last a life time!