I have been here in Florence for about a month now and words cannot explain how amazing this opportunity has been. I am taking quite a bit of classes here that I find very interesting and that are very much different from the ones I typically take. 

For starters I am taking an international finance class. This is the only class I expected to take. Now this may come as a surprise but I have done very little math in that class so far. Instead of focusing on formulas and doing different equations like the traditional finance class, I am learning about history and different concepts of international finance in great depth. My midterm is in two weeks so by the time you hear from me again I will have my results. Fingers crossed it goes well! 

Two classes I did not expect myself to take would definitely be Renaissance Art History and Analyzing the Global City of Florence (Long title I know). Renaissance Art history is SO MUCH different than any of the art classes I have ever taken. We go on many class trips to different museums and churches and analyze the different architecture. I can now confidently tell you which churches are Romanesque style and Gothic. These class trips have been an amazing opportunity to explore a lot of Florence’s rich history while also being able to take in the beauty. Analyzing the Global City of Florence is also a very different class than what I expected. Coming into the first day of class our professor made it very clear that we are not taking a history course. This class is probably one of my most interesting classes I have taken. We learn about the positives and negatives of globalization and what makes a city a global city. Do you think globalization is good? Well this class will definitely make you think about it. 

The other two classes I am taking here are introduction to Italian and Oil painting. Introduction to Italian stresses me out because it’s similar to the other languages I know and have learned, but it is still a bit different and that makes me a little stressed out. Oil painting I feel very happy and honored that I get to take because at Pitt I have never been able to get into an art class since I am a business major. 

All my classes are very tiny. The largest class I have probably has around 18 students. At Pitt, some of my classes have around 200 students. I kind of like the smaller group because it lets the teacher get to know us better and lets us have more time for class discussions where everyone gets to participate. 🙂