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Desirous to step into the footsteps of a school pupil who studied overseas in Italy? We lately caught up with AIFS Overseas participant Michaela from Chapman College, who spent spring semester learning 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 Research Overseas
Deciding the place and when to review overseas will be tough—particularly as a result of AIFS Overseas presents so many wonderful program locations all year long! However as Michaela explains, selecting to review overseas in Florence was simple:
“I’ve all the time been actually keen about artwork and historical past, particularly the Renaissance period. I bear in mind first studying about Florence and the Renaissance in elementary faculty and feeling such a powerful connection, so I feel 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 learning overseas in Florence, I knew surely that I needed to review there.”
Selecting when to review overseas can depend upon just a few elements: the native local weather, course availability, private desire, and your tutorial observe. As Michaela stated, deciding on a examine overseas program in Florence throughout spring semester was primarily because 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 greatest for my main. I believed this timing labored out very well by way of 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 International Training Facilities (GECs) in cities throughout Europe. Every of those worldwide training establishments presents hands-on programs that incorporate native views and tradition. Hear Michaela describe her expertise on the AIFS Overseas GEC in Florence, positioned simply steps from the well-known Ponte Vecchio:
“I attended AIFS’s International Training Heart in Florence. I beloved that every one the school rooms have been in a single constructing, as a result of I shortly turned very conversant in all the opposite college students in my program. I particularly beloved their library/examine area; I hung on the market usually in between lessons, which was a good way to turn out to be conversant in/get to know my classmates! The professors have been additionally implausible—they have been so educated about their topics and so form 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 additional particular! I beloved attending to be taught from Frans, our unbelievable professor, and observe my drawing expertise whereas exploring town.”
Budgeting Overseas
Value is a significant component for a lot of college students who wish to examine overseas. Fortuitously, AIFS Overseas accepts monetary support, plus we provide scholarships and grants, which will help scale back prices. Hear how Michaela caught to a funds throughout her semester overseas:
“I saved observe of all my spending in a giant 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 wish to ensure you really feel as financially comfy as potential if you examine overseas. I additionally lined up my summer time 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 refund.”
Housing
Housing is included in all AIFS Overseas applications. Housing choices range relying on this system you select, and will embrace a pupil residence, homestay, or a shared condo with different AIFS Overseas individuals, which is what Michaela did:
“I stayed in an condo in Oltrarno with two different AIFS college students from my residence college. I beloved my expertise! Having our personal condo in a non-touristy space made us really feel like we have been locals! I actually loved being with two ladies from my program, versus a homestay atmosphere, as a result of we ended up doing all the things 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 review overseas? Whereas some do have language necessities, it’s fully non-compulsory for a lot of AIFS Overseas applications! Under, Michaela particulars her language studying expertise in Italy:
“I didn’t have to know Italian with the intention to be eligible for my program. Although I had already happy my faculty language requirement, I nonetheless needed to be taught some Italian in a classroom setting, so I took Italian 101. It was useful to be taught a few of the fundamentals, though 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 a lot of questions—typically my Italian professor would rework his lesson to verify our issues have been acknowledged first, like if we needed extra recommendation on ordering in a restaurant or studying indicators in a prepare station. That is tremendous useful information to have, and working towards the language (even when it’s only a greeting) will certainly make the locals such as you extra!”
Cultural Appreciation
Finding out overseas opens you as much as new views and methods of life. Whereas there could also be some degree of tradition shock at first, many examine overseas college students be taught to understand cultural variations, as Michaela did:
“I actually admire how Italians admire the sluggish life, like lengthy dinners spent speaking with buddies/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 once I returned residence; I’m on my telephone much less, I admire the issues and other people round me, and I strive to not rush or stress an excessive amount of.”
AIFS Overseas Journeys & Actions
AIFS Overseas examine overseas applications embrace journeys and excursions that take you round your host nation or metropolis, along with social and cultural actions that are designed to complement your expertise and enable you to bond with different program individuals. Under, Michaela describes her expertise with these precious program inclusions:
“The Rome and Venice weekend journeys have been included in this system payment, 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 buddies and I went on weekend journeys to Rome (with AIFS), Paris, Venice, London, Switzerland, Santorini, and Lake Como. These have been all unbelievable locations in their very own methods, however Santorini was undoubtedly my favourite journey. It was throughout spring break, which suggests it was close to the top of this system, and we have been feeling additional sentimental!
One in every of my favourite reminiscences from the semester was watching the sundown over the ocean in Santorini with the 4 closest buddies I made whereas overseas. We had spent the day on the boat and have been taking within the surroundings whereas ready for our dinner desk to be prepared. It was close to the top of our program, so we have been getting very sentimental and nostalgic already. It was essentially the most lovely sundown I’ve ever seen, with the perfect firm.”
Don’t let the solar set on an unbelievable worldwide training expertise—examine overseas like Michaela did with AIFS Overseas!
Right here at AIFS Overseas, we all know a factor or two about serving to faculty college students examine overseas. All our applications include many useful inclusions, which takes loads 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 understanding you’ll have help all through your complete expertise overseas.
