AIFS Abroad in Florence, Italy: Semester

The summer I spent in Florence was the best summer of my life. Not only did it open my eyes to another culture and a group of friends that I am still in contact with, it also helped me know that I need to be a teacher. In college, I had the faint idea that being a teacher is what I should do after college. Coming back from Florence I was a new person, I had this sense of being not only a citizen in my community, but I saw the importance of being a global citizen. I knew after that I needed to help student understand the world around them and the importance of being a global citizen.
My students today receive the eye opening experiences I received from my world travels. They love hearing about all these different cultures and always want to learn more (but sadly we just do not have the time for every story). I have had students who hated social studies before my class. After the year I have converted some of those students into lifelong cultural learners.
The impact this study abroad trip doesn't just impact my life, it impacts upwards of 150 students each year. Over the course of my teaching career, my study abroad trip in Florence will impact thousands of students. From my stories and my recommendations, I have created novice travelers. Just from my first year of teaching, I influenced 3 students to travel last summer.
I have the AIFS study abroad program to thank for that. Without the experience and friendships I created, I not only would know why I am a teacher, but I would not have the same ability to change over 100 lives every single year.

If you are deciding to study abroad in Europe. Florence is where it's at! From the great friendly people, to the famous museums, to the gelato stops everywhere, to the food, to the sight of the Arno river, to the safe and fun nightlife to pretty much everything else. Everything is a walking distance and each stop is filled with life! I fell in love with Florence the first day I got there. I love how the place is so rich in history and art! I would definitely go back and relive the experience all over again.

Florence is the most magical city of all time! I advise anyone studying abroad in Europe to go there. AIFS was right by the Piazza Santa Croce as well as our apartment which was absolutely amazing!! They were so helpful with everything we needed and gave the best travel advice on which ever country we were visiting for the weekend. If I can I would go back to Florence and study abroad with them again!

I cannot rave enough about my study abroad experience with AIFS last spring semester. The greatest thing about the program was the staff. They helped make an easy transition for the students into a new country. They were also incredibly friendly and supportive. This program gave me the freedom to feel independent, but still go to the staff if I had any questions or concerns. The meal plan was also an incredible addition to this program. My friends and I could not get enough of some of the restaurants included in the meal tickets. Overall, I recommend this program to anyone thinking about studying in another country.

As a Spring 2014 Florence alum, I have no doubt that AIFS was the best program I could've chosen to help me fulfill my nearly lifelong dream of studying abroad. And even now--half a year removed from my experience--there's not a day that goes by that I don't think back to my unforgettable time in Florence and the (what seems like) entire lifetime's worth of happy memories I created there.

To start, my favorite parts about the program were the meal plan and the almost daily activities/excursions AIFS offered once we arrived in Italy. The meal plan was a really great way to experience the food culture of Italy without breaking the bank--with our breakfast/lunch and dinner cards, my friends and I were able to dine at fancy restaurants we wouldn't have been able to afford off plan, grab a quick panino or pizza to go, buy fresh produce at the local fruit stand, go out for aperitivo (which is kind of like the Italian version of happy hour), go grocery shopping, and even buy cocktails at local bars. In addition, almost daily AIFS gave us the option of participating in cultural immersion activities such as attending soccer games, gelato tours, cooking and baking classes, wine tastings, the opera and ballet, and day-long excursions to various destinations throughout Italy. With the help of these activities, I felt I was able to come away from my abroad experience with an excellent grasp on Italian culture and daily Florentine life.

Overall, the AIFS program in Florence made the necessary accommodations for us students to live an extremely comfortable life in Italy without holding our hand, hovering, or babying us through the entire process. I had envisioned gaining invaluable independent living skills from my abroad experience--the last thing I wanted to be was dependent on my program in any way. For that reason, I really appreciated that AIFS took care of the hard stuff for us--arranging our airfare, setting us up in apartments, providing us with meal options, helping us locate doctors if we got sick, etc.--but then set us free to do our own thing as we pleased. With AIFS, you can be as independent as you want to be, but there's always an incredible support system to fall back on if you find yourself having trouble, and that was great to know.

I would enthusiastically recommend AIFS to anyone who is interested in studying abroad!

I'm still buzzing from this experience five years later. Living in Siena for three weeks, being independent in a foreign country, language immersion and the personal attention of the teachers.. oh yeah!! and all the most delicious Italian food on my regular food plan from school..

It was amazing. I sometimes wake up thinking I have just come back, but I have lived so much more since then and even traveled back to Europe this year to explore more and met Italians who I could STILL speak Italian.

All in all, if I was in undergrad I would definitely do this program again. In fact, they should create one specifically for graduate students and one for professionals. C'MON!

Studying abroad through AIFS was honestly one of the best decisions I ever made. I lived in downtown Florence, Italy right around the corner from the Duomo, the Palazzo Vecchio, and the Ponte Vecchio bridge! It was right in the center of EVERYTHING! I compared it to New York City it was like living in "Time Square". Beyond the amazing apartment, the classes were spectacular! Art History was amazing because instead of reading about art work out of a text book we were right in front of the real thing! It was like having your own personal tour guild. In addition the staff is extremely fun and helpful with whatever you need! They really care about each student and their experience abroad. I was not disappointed with the extra activities AIFS put together. Some of those included: cooking classes, wine tasting, a pizza making class, field trips, olive oil tasting, an Opera show, a Halloween party, welcome dinner, and so much more! This program is completely affordable coming from a girl who did it on her own! I was 19 working a minimum wage job back at home and got myself to Italy! You would not regret taking the adventure abroad through AIFS, it is an experience I will never forget!

Studying abroad with AIFS is one of the best decisions I have ever made. AIFS made my study abroad experience as smooth as possible. I felt safe, well fed and happy to attend a wide vary of activities provided for us. I took four classes and was in no shape or form overwhelmed by the work load. However, I learned so much academically. It was such a treat to attend class and then see paintings that I had learned about earlier that day in person. Our professor would take us there and reiterate what we learned in class in front of the masterpieces.

AIFS provided cultural activities for us to attend such as cooking classes and aperativo to name a few. Most of the time these activities didn't even cost us extra. The staff was incredible. If I ever had any questions they were there to help!