Continuing my academic career in Florence has been such a rewarding part of this experience. I am taking classes that further my knowledge in my majors, Finance and Marketing, as well as the city and culture around me. I am taking four classes while studying abroad; International Marketing, International Finance, Renaissance Art History, and Italian 101. The first two classes directly align with my majors and give me a more global perspective on finance and marketing topics. Renaissance Art History is a class that I thoroughly enjoy, with every first class of the week being a lecture and the following class being a site visit to see the art that we discussed. This has been an amazing opportunity to visit museums and chapels significant to the Renaissance and Florence’s history. Italian 101 is a beginner Italian language course that has taught me how to communicate with Florentines in bakeries and supermarkets. This has been helpful in adapting to the language barrier and feeling more comfortable in Italy.

To be successful in this academic environment, you need to be adaptable and organized. Being in a new country and space, adapting to different schedules and workloads requires the skill of flexibility and adaptation. Organization is critical to keep track of assignments and differing class formats throughout the week. For example, in art I need to keep track of my readings while also keeping up with my Italian practices and homework assignments. My highest score for my Clifton Strengths was in adaptability, something that I have used frequently while being in Florence. I can also use my strength in being a maximizer to focus on the good in everything and aim to transform it into something even better! A sense of optimism and looking at the positive side of things makes everything better.

The dynamics of this academic culture are similar to Pitt in that the courses are focused on class participation and interacting with classmates. Everyone is focused on their academics while enjoying the ability to travel. Traveling and exploring on the weekends while studying for exams and completing assignments is an added challenge but makes this experience even more exciting. All of the professors here are very passionate about what they teach and are very helpful whenever I have questions about the material. I greatly enjoy using what I am learning in my everyday life in Florence and hope to continue progressing my knowledge in the language and culture.