Picture of Pompeii’s main square with Mount Vesuvius in the background

As my experience in Florence comes closer to an end I thought for this blog entry I would share some helpful tips and suggestions that may help future study abroad students.

• Know where you are going! If you have never been to Italy or Europe in general, then do yourself a huge favor and grab a travel book. A good travel book will give you all the important information on the country or area you will be headed to. They will give suggestions of places to eat, visit and travel to. To be honest, I did not realize this crucial part of the going abroad process. I decided that I wanted to study in Florence and that was that, I did not think about traveling outside of Florence and truly thought I could just figure it all out once I got there. Please, do not make this same mistake! Research where you want to travel, it will save you in the long run . . . which brings me to my next point. . .
• Making traveling plans.  When you are researching places to go keep in mind that SAI offers some fantastic free excursions. While you find out about these during orientation you can still sign up for the ones you want and rearrange travel plans around these. Your program may also have their own excursions that are worth a look at. Some of those trips can be a bit pricey and if you shop around you may be able to find a cheaper way to get to those same places. Again here is where I made a mistake: when I received the email about a trip that went to Pompeii I did not hesitate signing up because going to Pompeii was a huge dream of mine, but it was expensive and cut into my budget. If, like me, you are going to be on a tight budget do yourself a favor and research other companies (bus2alps is a popular one) that offer a similar trip. Now you probably won’t get the same amenities but you are there for the experience not a posh hotel room.
• School fees!! Before you leave make sure you check to see if any of your classes have lab fees. This is so important because I did not know that my 3 art history classes had them and the first day of classes I found out that I had to pay €200 in lab fees. This cut into my budget tremendously and unfortunately this wrecked my budget and I have recently felt the consequences of not checking to see if I had to pay lab fees. 
• Budget! Budget! Budget! This is something I did a little too late. At home you may have had a job and a steady income but here you will not, so while you may consider yourself responsible with your money you are going to see your bank account diminish in funds quickly. My suggestion is get a credit card and obviously use it wisely (you are in college and thinking about/ going to study abroad, you should be somewhat responsible already). I use my credit card for food or at chain stores (H&M, Kikos, Spehora, etc.). Unless mom and dad are footing the bill you need to go into this experience knowing that you will come out of this broke. I also suggest having a talk with your parents about what they are willing to give you just in case you do run out of money.
• What to bring . . . or not bring. I did not want to pay a huge fee for a second checked bag so everything I brought with me had to fit in one checked bag, a carry-on and a backpack. So, if you find that you are having a difficult time packing here is what to do: step away from the suitcases, take a breath and really look at what you are bringing. I made the mistake of packing too many toiletry items. I packed economy size body wash, shampoo and conditioner – please do not do this- they took up so much space in my suitcase. At the grocery store, or wherever you decide to buy such items, you will find brands that are familiar to you (Pantene, Garnier Fructis, Dove, etc). And girls, when you are packing makeup remember that there is a Sephora and a Kiko (an inexpensive make up store that is amazing!). However, if you like a particular brand of make-up do some research to see if it is sold in the city you are going to; for example, I use only Neutrogena products and I have not found them anywhere in Florence (fortunately I stocked up before I came to Italy). Also, make sure you have plenty of clothes because laundry is somewhat of a pain (at least here in Florence) because the washers are small and you may have to line dry your clothes. Trust me, doing laundry every week is not fun and honestly, not going to happen. Make sure you have about 2-3 weeks worth of clothes so you can go without doing laundry for that amount of time. Also, check out what the climate is going to be while you are there. Here in Florence it started off unbearably hot but has since cooled off and become rainy. So make sure you pack a variety of clothes and shoes. Lastly, something that I have noticed while in Europe is that Converse shoes are a big deal; and when I say big deal I mean a pair of Converse that cost $60 USD back home can cost anywhere from 100 to 300 Euro here. They are a huge fashion statement so you may want to pack a couple pair of Converse instead of those Nikes (unless you plan on working out at the gym). Furthermore, I was shocked to see that the fashion is more ‘rocker chic’ than ‘posh glam,’ so keep that in mind when packing.
• The “study” in “study abroad”- it is important to understand that while you are here to experience what this side of the ocean has to offer you also need to be able to give first priority to school. I am not saying that in this category I am an angel and have not struggled with getting out of bed and walking to classes that are 30 minutes away, but you are here to study and you are in college so get your act together. Depending on your home university you may find your abroad university easier, about the same or difficult. So depending on where you fall adjust your study time accordingly.
• Experience the culture. This is pretty self explanatory, but I will go into a little detail. When I arrived in Florence and my Facebook event calendar began filling up with Florence study abroad student invites to nightclubs I decided to ignore them. For one reason I am from and go to school in Chicago . . . so I have been to a few nightclubs in my time . . . therefore, something that I could do at home did not interest me. If you really want to get a grasp on the Italian culture go to a wine bar, not many of those back home, there you can drink delicious Italian wine and get to know your neighborhood (and I am sure it is a lot cheaper than a club). Also, go explore and go out to eat. There are plenty of places to go with little to no cost and food here is relatively cheap. So embrace the culture! Even if you are not in Italy I guarantee that you will find something that is popular among the locals. I find that it is better to blend in than stand out when abroad because the natives see you are making an effort and accept you with open arms.

Pizza from Gusto’s Pizza

• Pasta and pizza.  This is for Italian study abroad students. Pasta and pizza is pretty much your new diet. Seriously, that is the majority of your meals. Since I have been in Italy my diet has drastically changed- more fruits and vegetables, a lot less meat and, you guessed it, pasta and pizza.
• Take a map, any map! Always carry a map around with you. You may memorize your walk from your apartment to school in a week but you never really can grasp the whole city in that amount of time. So carry a map with you so when you go exploring you can find your way back or use it to mark interesting locations.
• My last piece of advice is for all the students who do not think they can go abroad because of money: yes, studying abroad is expensive. Find as many scholarships as you can. Do not let this factor hold you back. Some of the most memorable moments of your life will not be because of money.  Chances that in the future you will be back to relive your college study abroad experience and that is when you can buy all those souvenirs you couldn’t before. So go explore the world!

Giardino di Boboli

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Alyssa is a student at Saint Xavier University studying at Florence University of the Arts during the Fall 2013 term.