While studying abroad in Florence, I’m taking four classes, and surprisingly, only one of them is technically a business course. I wanted to balance coursework that aligns with my marketing major and future career with classes that allow me to fully embrace the city I’m in.
To fulfill my marketing major requirements, I’m taking Global Marketing. This course builds on my existing marketing and business knowledge while teaching me how to adapt strategies for international markets. It’s very presentation and group work heavy, which has not only helped me understand the material better but has also been a great way to meet new people.
Since Pitt requires us to take a language course, I’m enrolled in Italian Here and Now, a beginner Italian class exclusively for Pitt students. I’ll admit—I wasn’t thrilled about this requirement at first, but now that I’m actually living in Italy and using what I’m learning daily, I’m so grateful for it. As a Spanish speaker, I’ve found both advantages and challenges in learning Italian. The similarities between the two languages make it fairly easy for me to understand spoken Italian, but when I try to speak, I sometimes accidentally use the Spanish version of words. I’ve had to be more intentional about studying the differences to keep them straight.
My other two courses, Contemporary Italian Cinema and Oil Painting, tap into my creativity and personal interests while offering a uniquely Florentine experience. Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, is home to artistic legends like Michelangelo and the Medici family. Studying art and learning painting techniques here feels like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. While I’m definitely not the next Michelangelo, I enjoy the creative escape my oil painting class provides—it’s a nice break from my busy schedule to just sit and paint for a few hours each week.
My Contemporary Italian Cinema professor is a professional film critic, and his eccentric, funny personality makes the class so engaging. Through the films we watch, I’m getting a deeper understanding of what life is really like in different parts of Italy. It’s fascinating to see how social and political issues influence daily life and shape people’s behaviors and values.
Most of my classes meet just once a week for three hours (except for Italian, which meets three times a week for an hour). Because of this, staying on top of assignments and reviewing material between classes is essential. I’ve developed a habit of studying in cafés almost every day. When I do, I usually order ‘un cappuccino’ and sometimes ‘un cornetto’ (a croissant). I’ve learned that while some cafés are laptop-friendly, others have such a small, local feel that pulling out a notebook would seem out of place (even if no one would actually say anything). After a month here, I’ve figured out which spots are best for studying and which are better for simply enjoying the moment.
