Michaela’s Spring Semester in Florence

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Desperate to step into the footsteps of a school scholar who studied overseas in Italy? We lately caught up with AIFS Overseas participant Michaela from Chapman College, who spent spring semester finding out overseas within the Renaissance metropolis of Florence. 

Uncover how Michaela’s examine overseas expertise in Florence helped her change her perspective on life and journey Europe! 

Selecting When & The place to Examine Overseas 

Deciding the place and when to check overseas may be troublesome—particularly as a result of AIFS Overseas gives so many wonderful program locations all year long! However as Michaela explains, selecting to examine overseas in Florence was simple: 

“I’ve all the time been actually obsessed with artwork and historical past, particularly the Renaissance period. I bear in mind first studying about Florence and the Renaissance in elementary college and feeling such a robust connection, so I believe I all the time knew that Florence could be the place for me. As soon as I began seeing extra social media posts and listening to tales about finding out overseas in Florence, I knew surely that I wished to check there.” 

Selecting when to check overseas can depend upon a couple of elements: the native local weather, course availability, private choice, and your educational observe. As Michaela stated, deciding on a examine overseas program in Florence throughout spring semester was primarily as a consequence of her main: 

“I selected to go overseas within the spring semester of my sophomore yr, as a result of that’s the time period that labored finest for my main. I assumed this timing labored out rather well when it comes to vacationer ranges, as a result of anybody who was visiting for Christmas or J-Time period had already left, and vacationer season was simply selecting up when this system was ending. I additionally actually loved attending to expertise the Easter season in Italy!” 

Teachers Overseas 

AIFS Overseas has 4 World Training Facilities (GECs) in cities throughout Europe. Every of those worldwide schooling establishments gives hands-on programs that incorporate native views and tradition. Hear Michaela describe her expertise on the AIFS Overseas GEC in Florence, situated simply steps from the well-known Ponte Vecchio: 

“I attended AIFS’s World Training Heart in Florence. I liked that every one the school rooms had been in a single constructing, as a result of I rapidly grew to become very conversant in all the opposite college students in my program. I particularly liked their library/examine area; I hung on the market usually in between lessons, which was an effective way to develop into conversant in/get to know my classmates! The professors had been additionally implausible—they had been so educated about their topics and so type and understanding.” 

For Michaela, attending to take an artwork course that took her out into Florence was a dream come true, as she explains: 

“Italy Sketchbook was my absolute favourite class! On the primary day, we handcrafted our personal sketchbooks, which made them further particular! I liked attending to study from Frans, our unimaginable professor, and observe my drawing abilities whereas exploring town.” 

Budgeting Overseas 

Price is a significant component for a lot of college students who need to examine overseas. Luckily, AIFS Overseas accepts monetary help, plus we provide scholarships and grants, which may also help scale back prices. Hear how Michaela caught to a finances throughout her semester overseas: 

“I saved observe of all my spending in an enormous spreadsheet. After the primary few weeks, I had an concept of what my typical spending habits could be like (like how a lot I’d spend on meals each week). I counsel college students to save lots of up as a lot as they’ll previous to their examine overseas! You’ll most likely be spending cash on meals, souvenirs, and journey, so that you need to be sure you really feel as financially comfy as potential while you examine overseas. I additionally lined up my summer season job whereas I used to be overseas; it made me really feel extra comfy to know I had a job to return to after my program ended, so I might make my a reimbursement.” 

Housing 

Housing is included in all AIFS Overseas packages. Housing choices differ relying on this system you select, and should embody a scholar residence, homestay, or a shared condominium with different AIFS Overseas members, which is what Michaela did: 

“I stayed in an condominium in Oltrarno with two different AIFS college students from my dwelling college. I liked my expertise! Having our personal condominium in a non-touristy space made us really feel like we had been locals! I actually loved being with two women from my program, versus a homestay atmosphere, as a result of we ended up doing every thing collectively and have become tremendous shut.” 

Language Studying 

Do you know that you’re not required to be fluent in a second language or take language programs to check overseas? Whereas some do have language necessities, it’s fully non-compulsory for a lot of AIFS Overseas packages! Beneath, Michaela particulars her language studying expertise in Italy: 

“I didn’t must know Italian with a view to be eligible for my program. Although I had already happy my school language requirement, I nonetheless wished to study some Italian in a classroom setting, so I took Italian 101. It was useful to study a few of the fundamentals, regardless that I discovered that most individuals in Florence additionally had no downside understanding English. I like to recommend that college students take a language class and actually concentrate and ask numerous questions—generally my Italian professor would rework his lesson to ensure our considerations had been acknowledged first, like if we wished extra recommendation on ordering in a restaurant or studying indicators in a prepare station. That is tremendous useful data to have, and training the language (even when it’s only a greeting) will certainly make the locals such as you extra!” 

Cultural Appreciation 

Learning overseas opens you as much as new views and methods of life. Whereas there could also be some stage of tradition shock at first, many examine overseas college students study to understand cultural variations, as Michaela did: 

“I actually admire how Italians recognize the sluggish life, like lengthy dinners spent speaking with pals/household. They appear to all the time be so current and don’t take issues too significantly. I really feel like this actually caught with me after I returned dwelling; I’m on my cellphone much less, I recognize the issues and folks round me, and I strive to not rush or stress an excessive amount of.” 

AIFS Overseas Journeys & Actions 

AIFS Overseas examine overseas packages embody journeys and excursions that take you round your host nation or metropolis, along with social and cultural actions that are designed to counterpoint your expertise and make it easier to bond with different program members. Beneath, Michaela describes her expertise with these worthwhile program inclusions: 

“The Rome and Venice weekend journeys had been included in this system charge, however I additionally paid small charges for some AIFS-sponsored actions and excursions, such because the Fiorentina soccer recreation, opera, classical live performance, and cooking class. Each occasion was so useful to my immersion; all of them made me really feel extra linked to town and its tradition, in addition to my friends that I had the chance to make reminiscences with.” 

Along with attending AIFS Overseas journeys and excursions, you’re additionally free to go by yourself weekend journeys domestically and to different neighboring nations, like Michaela did. Hear her describe the locations she visited, and one of many reminiscences she made whereas touring in Greece throughout her program: 

“My pals and I went on weekend journeys to Rome (with AIFS), Paris, Venice, London, Switzerland, Santorini, and Lake Como. These had been all unimaginable locations in their very own methods, however Santorini was undoubtedly my favourite journey. It was throughout spring break, which implies it was close to the tip of this system, and we had been feeling further sentimental! 

Certainly one of my favourite reminiscences from the semester was watching the sundown over the ocean in Santorini with the 4 closest pals I made whereas overseas. We had spent the day on the boat and had been taking within the surroundings whereas ready for our dinner desk to be prepared. It was close to the tip of our program, so we had been getting very sentimental and nostalgic already. It was essentially the most stunning sundown I’ve ever seen, with one of the best firm.” 

Don’t let the solar set on an unimaginable worldwide schooling expertise—examine overseas like Michaela did with AIFS Overseas! 

Right here at AIFS Overseas, we all know a factor or two about serving to school college students examine overseas. All our packages include many useful inclusions, which takes quite a lot of the stress out of planning. From coordinating your housing to offering issues like cultural and social actions, excursions, complete insurance coverage, 24/7 emergency help, on-site workers, and extra, you’ll take consolation in realizing you’ll have help all through your complete expertise overseas.