Studying Abroad in Italy!

This past semester (Fall 2014) I was lucky enough to have the experience of a lifetime and study abroad! I spent some of the most amazing months of my life studying and living in the beautiful city of Florence, Italy.  I had taken Italian language classes for all four semesters of both my freshman and sophomores years at Fordham so Italy was an obvious choice in my case!

The process of studying abroad began in the Fall of my sophomore year, I set up a meeting with an advisor in Fordham's study abroad office (ISAP) to discuss all of my options.  I knew that I wanted to go to Italy but I was not sure what program or what city I wanted to be in.  This meeting was extremely helpful, the advisor showed me how to use ISAP's website in order to discover the numerous programs Fordham has agreements with all over the world. I soon found the Syracuse Florence program and quickly applied and soon after got confirmation that I would soon be embarking on the trip of a lifetime.  ISAP helped me tremendously in the months leading up to my departure with countless things, such as pre-departure meetings, helping to pick classes that would transfer, and general questions about absolutely anything regarding my future home or program.

                                                                               Florence is beautiful! 

I left for Italy on September 1st and was soon in Florence, definitely nervous and jet lagged, but also very ready to see what the city had to offer! I soon moved in with my host family, all students in the Syracuse Florence program live with host families except for Architecture students.  I could not have asked for a better family, they welcomed me in as one of their own and included me in their daily life.  I never felt uncomfortable or like I was intruding, I definitely believe that living with a host family helped me tremendously when it came to immersing myself into the culture and becoming comfortable with the language.                                          After a long hike in the beautiful Cinque Terre! 

During my time in Florence I took five classes at Syracuse's campus, an old villa on the outskirts of town that is absolutely beautiful. When I wasn't in class I took full advantage of the cheap and numerous travel options that Europe has to offer.  I got the amazing opportunity to travel to so many new places. I went all throughout Italy, traveling both North and South, to places like Sicily, Ferrara, Venice, Parma, Torino, and Cinque Terre.  I also got the opportunity to travel throughout Europe on many occasions.  Outside of Italy I was lucky enough to travel to Budapest, Vienna, Poland, Prague, London, and Copenhagen!

Some friends and I in Prague 

I would not trade my abroad experience for anything and I am so happy I got the chance to travel the world and truly experience another culture as amazing as the one I found in Florence! Fordham ISAP was extremely helpful in all aspects of the process not only before my departure but also while I was abroad and upon my return in terms of getting all transfer credits.

For further information on Fordham numerous study abroad programs you can visit ISAP's website at: http://www.fordham.edu/studyabroad

Summer in Florence

This past summer I spent a month studying abroad in Florence. I took two courses that would count for credit toward my core at Fordham: History of Contemporary Italy, and Italy in British & American Literature. When I arrived in Italy for the first time, I could not believe the beauty that was surrounding me. My apartment window looked right out onto the Piazza del Duomo! It was so exciting living in such a busy part of the city, watching permanent residents and tour groups alike passing by at all times of the day.

View of the Duomo from my window

My favorite parts of Florence were the Ponte Vecchio bridge and Piazzale Michelangelo, where we could see a beautiful view of the city.  During my time in Florence I visited several museums, both for class requirements and on my own time.  I saw the Uffizi Gallery, the Pitti Palace, and Michelangelo’s David in the Galleria dell’Accademia.  We also explored outside of Florence, visiting several other parts of Italy.  The study abroad program even brought all the students on a field trip to Assisi where we toured churches and a medieval castle.

Walking by the Ponte Vecchio

Aside from organized field trips, I went with some of my friends to visit other cities on our own as well.  Fortunately I was in Rome on Festa della Repubblica, the Italian National Republic Day, so we got to see the parade.  We also explored the rolling hills of Tuscany surrounding Florence.  This trip to Italy gave me the opportunity to check a few things off my bucket list:  gondola ride in Venice, cliché picture with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, and Casa di Giulietta in Verona.  Of course I have to mention food, as I definitely got my fair share of pizza and gelato during my time abroad.  While four weeks might seem short to some, my experience in Italy was everything I could’ve imagined and more!

Festa della Repubblica in Rome

A Summer in Florence

While many students traveled home after finals last spring to see their families and start their summer jobs, I hopped on a plane to Florence, Italy to have arguably the best four weeks of my life. While the study abroad program was not specifically through Fordham, my dean, the department chairs, and the study abroad office were so all helpful and encouraging throughout my application process (even as only an incoming sophomore!). 

In Florence I took two 3-credit classes, one of which on the famous Italian poet Dante and the other on Cross-Cultural Psychology. Fordham accepted both classes for credit. The courses really integrated the history and culture of Florence into the classroom, which made the experience all the more worthwhile. Field trips included visiting the Baptistery where Dante was baptized, a multi-cultural middle school, an ex-asylum, and we even had a trip further out into Tuscany to Siena and San Gimignano. I also read Dante’s famous Inferno and conducted ethnographies on different cultural experiences in Italy like going to a pizzeria. 

But besides interesting classes, simply living in Florence was an amazing experience. I stayed in a four-bedroom apartment in the center of Florence with four other girls, who are now some of my best friends. We both grocery shopped and cooked, but most of the time went out to dinner and had authentic Italian pastas, sauces, meats, and gelato. We also travelled every weekend to different parts of Italy including to Rome, Pisa, Milan, Venice, and the Cinque Terre. Each city was beautifully unique but they all had one thing in common- amazing food. Some of the Italian foods I tried are buffalo mozzarella, veal scaloppini, duck, panna cotta, and of course brick oven pizza like no other. 

Studying abroad was such an eye opening and worthwhile experience for me that I intend on going abroad again for the fall semester next year. Fordham has its own business school in the heart of London where I can continue taking marketing classes for my major.  In addition, studying abroad at Fordham is not limited to one experience and is encouraged for all majors and to all classes. I was able to study abroad as an incoming sophomore and will soon have a whole new experience as a junior in London. I also plan on traveling to visit my other Fordham friends studying abroad that same semester in countries like Poland, Spain, and the Czech Republic. And who knows, I may just have to pop back to Florence just to taste the gelato again! 

Study Abroad Fall 2011 in Rome, Italy

This past fall, I studied abroad in Rome, Italy through the University of Chicago- John Felice Rome Center (JFRC). I always knew I wanted to study business in Italy, so choosing a program was not a difficult task for me. The JFRC allowed me to take five classes that Fordham would accept, offered orientation programs to help students get acquainted with each other and the foreign country, as well as promoted traveling.

The JFRC was home to two hundred other students from across the US. Here, I made many friends and traveling buddies, who I have continued to keep in touch with since returning to the States. As many study abroad participants will detest, there has not been a day since I’ve come home where I have not thought about my time abroad.

Immersing into Italy’s culture was at first a challenge, yet at the end, extremely rewarding. My high school Italian knowledge was quickly put to use, as I was always using the language to ask for directions, buy bus tickets, and pay for meals. I learned patience waiting for the buses, the ability to organize my schedule around a country that does not work on Sundays, and most of all, a love for gelato.

My favorite part about being abroad was the opportunities I took to travel. Not having class on Fridays, I maximized my weekends traveling throughout Western Europe with friends I met at my program. I visited cities such as London, Dublin, Paris, Munich, Barcelona, Milan, and Florence. I even went on a ten day study trip with my program traveling in Athens and throughout the different Greek Islands.

I became more independent from my traveling. Not only was this my first time traveling alone, it was also my first time abroad. It was exciting, yet scary, planning trips without the consent of my parents. This experience makes me eager to continue my travels abroad.

Deciding to study abroad has been the best decision I have made at Fordham so far. I will always remember the places I traveled, the things I learned, and the people I met. Luckily, Fordham’s International and Study Abroad Programs (ISAP) office was helpful and provided me with dozens of brochures, the opportunity to meet with ambassadors from different programs, as well as helpful guidelines about making the most of your time abroad. I definitely recommend studying abroad!