CIS Abroad Semester Programs in Italy

One of the most valuable lessons I learned regarding travel came in the form of getting gelato in Florence. The CIS ambassador touring us through the city made sure to highlight what signifies that the Italian dessert is in its authentic form. I realized the mountainous piles of gelato I had seen in pictures, pictures that made me want to travel to Florence, were just a variation of ice-cream whose excessive appearance marked a successful attempt to attract tourists. It is little pieces of information like that, gained with the help of on-site CIS representatives, who are locals within the area, that transport students into a wealth of knowledge that they did know they would receive from the beautiful city surface that drew them there in the first place. The people who make up this program make sure that you become a part of something real, by showing you how locals live in the city, making the commitment to this period of time in a foreign place a truly unique and fulfilling form of travel.

Studying abroad was easily one of the best decisions I have ever made. The benefits go beyond what the classroom will give you. During studying abroad, you will encounter challenges including navigating language barriers, new cultures, new locations, and travel plans (making them and all that can go wrong); the list goes on! These are common, though challenging, occurrences that give you the opportunity to adapt and put your problem-solving skills to use, sometimes on the spot. Being overseas will also give you a level of independence that you may not have experienced before! This is a great thing! Without the immediate support of friends and family, it pushes you to rely on your own skills and trust your instincts to make decisions and how to spend your time. It may seem like even just a semester is a long time, but it isn’t going to be enough for you to do all you want. Trust me! I thought I had so much time at the beginning and the semester flew by! Sure, living abroad is amazing. But the soft skills you gain, the character development and growth that come from how you chose to handle the experiences will be invaluable.

Going to Italy was an amazing experience not only for the food and scenery but for the adventures and friends that were made along the way. When I first found out I would get the opportunity to go to Italy it was a surreal moment, and my experience abroad was one filled with many memories. While abroad I experienced culture shock because I had never been out of my home state, let alone the US. However, I learned to take it one day at a time and live in the present moment than trying to process everything all at once.

I spent the fall semester of my senior year with CIS Abroad in Florence, Italy. I had a fantastic time and would go back again in a heartbeat. I only took gen-eds, so my coursework was pretty light but I really enjoyed the "walking" classes that focused on seeing different parts of the city through an academic lens. The city is incredibly walkable, and you can find just about anything you need on the same block as you live. I stayed in the Social Hub, a hotel that hosts long-term students. I liked it because of security, utilities, and kitchenware was all provided. There is a restaurant in the hotel that you can get a prepaid meal plan for, but there is also kitchen space if you are more of a cook. Groceries were very inexpensive, so it was easy to get by without being an extraordinary cook. The hotel was also only a 10/15 minute walk from the train station, which made it super easy to travel on the weekends. The on-site staff were super responsive to outreach and had all of the resources you could possibly need.

Florence Italy is a beautiful city full of life and wonderful people. It is a melting pot of other cultures and is the perfect place to meet people from all over the world. Not only did I spend four months diving into the rich art and life-changing food, but I also had the chance to experience life in a walkable city full of history. Florence is also the perfect location to be able to travel to other cities in Italy such as Pisa, Bologna, Roma, Milano, etc. Living so close to the Santa Maria Novella made it so you could hop on the train and make your way over to another beautiful city and their own unique culture. And being a tram ride away from the Peretola Aeroporto made it so we could fly to the other surrounding countries, for example, a trip to Germany!
I stayed in the Social Hub Firenze, where although we had a few struggles with laundry and hotel staff, we had some pretty amazing opportunities. We had access to a rooftop pool and bar with a beautiful view of the Duomo, our kitchen manager Valentina was there to teach us authentic recipes, and access to a dining plan where we could have lunch or dinner and an amazing spread for breakfast, and some amazing events such as Vintage Pop-Up markets and art installations.
I would choose CIS Abroad over and over again if I had to redo my study abroad experience. Our program staff that were in Florence with us, Martina and Romina, were amazing. Not only did they create amazing and unique trips for us to go on as a program, but they also were there to listen to us and consider our ideas. They went above and beyond to make sure that we were comfortable in our living situations at The Social Hub Firenze, and when we were struggling they were right there with us trying to find a solution.
They also made sure we were equipped with a full guide to the city with food, shopping, and museum recommendations, making sure we stayed away from the blue and yellow ATMs! It meant a lot to me and the friends that I made in my program that we had people who were in our corner and wanted to make sure that we could make the most of our trip.
I can't think of any way that my trip abroad could have been more life-changing or life-fulfilling, and I recommend CIS Abroad to anyone interested in studying abroad.

The town of Sorrento was a beautiful place to spend 4 months abroad. Classes at Sant'Anna Institute were relatively easy with little homework, but all had strict attendance policies. I loved waking up every morning to the view of the ocean and fishing boats in Marina Grande. However, the dorms were messy aside from the weekly cleaning and linen change from the staff. Nonetheless, I made lifelong friends with students and locals, especially at Orbit where I got my daily boba tea just to chat with the owners. The CIS director hosted many delicious meals at local restaurants and took us on several excursions both in and out of Sorrento to show us even more Italian culture. The support from CIS Abroad made my first time outside of the United States comfortable and enjoyable.

I studied abroad at Sant'Anna Institute in Sorrento, Italy for the spring semester! I didn't know anyone else going and was very nervous about making friends and moving to another country I wasn't familiar with and couldn't speak the local language. CIS abroad was more than amazing at making sure every question I had was answered and set me up with support systems both abroad and at home before I even left. They helped me feel prepared and confident I would succeed abroad despite my many concerns. Once on site, the staff at Sant'Anna was also amazing at helping everyone adjust to the Italian lifestyle and learn the differences between Italian and American culture. The school also hosted events to help students get to know each other like cooking classes, guided hikes, movie nights etc. All of the classes were taught in english and the professors wanted to see you suceed. The class schedule was also designed to give students the opportunity to travel on weekends. Sorrento was also an ideal location; it was a small town so the experience was more personable, and less overwhelming for me than living in one of the larger cities. My experience was filled with adventures, new friendships, good food, and memories that will last a lifetime.

I went to Italy through CIS Abroad's spring semester in Florence program and I am going to talk about it for the rest of my life :) Since returning home a few months ago, I've been thinking about going back almost every single day- it was quite literally the best four months of my life. Romina, the CIS on-site director, was a huge help throughout the entire semester as she was always available to talk and even planned numerous fun events for CIS students. When I got COVID halfway through the semester, she helped me in finding a doctor as well as a good place to quarantine. I can't imagine someone more qualified to do her job- she's the BEST. Overall, I recommend going to study in Italy through CIS as they're very organized, helpful, and responsive.