Let me tell you about my first day in Florence-not because I want to share the details of my trip, but to explain the overwhelming sense of cultural ambiguity that I, and a surprising number of my fellow study abroad students at NYU, have been wrestling with since we
As a senior in high school, I secured a spot on a trip to Italy that the Latin Club was hosting during spring break. The ‘Italian experience' that I gained by traveling with 30 students, over half of whom were infected with the ‘senioritis virus,' and a very
The best advice for an unforgettable Florentine experience is simply not to leave Italy on weekends. Traveling within the country is an excellent way to save money, practice your Italian, and experience many diverse regions and people. Luckily, Florence is well positioned for extensive budget travel-in fact, all towns
Exploring your new city throughout the semester is, of course, an important part of the adventure of studying abroad in Florence-but there are some things you need to know now, like where to find a great place to curl up with your books, or where to get your curls
If you are just arriving in the grand old city of Firenze, I can promise you two things: you are about to fall in love, and you have much to learn! As a veteran of this crazy rollercoaster ride called study abroad, I would like to share some of the
With the exchange rate between the dollar and euro at an all-time high and the price of oil breaking records, spending money in Florence is downright depressing. But even though the euro is strong, there are many ways to conserve your soldi and still enjoy this city. A few
The key to a successful study abroad experience is being able to use your imagination. You have to imagine that you aren't here for just six months, four months, or five weeks. You have to arrive having convinced yourself that this is where you live. Not where you ‘
Studying in Florence may sound tremendously alluring to ambitious students from elsewhere, enthused by the thought of living in a city that has bred some of the world’s foremost artists and thinkers of all time. Yet not everyone is aware of the challenges faced by University of Florence
When you study abroad, often the most important lessons take place outside of the classroom. You spend your first starry-eyed days roaming the city with a big map and wandering eyes, taking in the novelty of European antiquity. You walk as a tourist walks-oblivious to the race, the
Walking through a tiny and overpriced grocery on Via dei Neri last Friday, I spotted the perfect basil plant. It sat there, right beside the massive red peppers and fresh pasta, begging to be part of a caprese salad. Studying and living here in Florence has helped me pick up
Studying abroad is not a vacation. However, if you are heading to a holiday magnet like Florence for a year or for the summer, friends and acquaintances will most likely exclaim, ‘Oh, what fun!' Yet, with studying abroad, as with other momentous life events, the word ‘fun' doesn'
Study abroad students generally take on one of two roles. On one hand, they become cultural sponges, absorbing the language and life of their adopted city. On the other, some hold onto their home culture so obstinately they become essentially four-month tourists. Students at Syracuse University in
September hails the start of a new school year, and in this city it is not just the Italians who go back to school, but all the foreign students as well. As a matter of fact, Florence is the biggest American study abroad centre in the world and that’