Hi! My name is Hannah Tracey, and I am currently a junior at Pitt, majoring in Marketing and Supply Chain Management. This semester I am studying abroad in Florence, Italy! Since my freshman year of college I knew I wanted to study abroad at some point in my college career. I was eager to immerse myself in a new culture, challenge myself outside my comfort zone and gain a truly meaningful and unforgettable experience.
When choosing a location, I knew I wanted to be located in Europe. Beyond its rich history and cultural significance, Europe holds personal meaning for me as it is where my family is from. I ultimately ended up choosing to go to Florence through the Global Business Institute because of its beautiful sites and environment. I am looking forward to learning new insights into the business world from an international perspective, especially in areas I am passionate about. As a marketing major, international marketing has been my favorite course this semester. There is no better way to understand how different cultures approach marketing and consumer behavior than by learning about it while living in another country. My goals are to advance my overall knowledge of business strategies while learning to adapt to a completely new culture. I’m especially excited to learn the Italian language, cuisine, traditions, and way of life!
The university I am studying at is CEA CAPA. The entire staff has been so welcoming and supportive throughout this major transition. All of my professors have been amazing, and I truly enjoy learning from them. I would say the biggest difference between my classes here and at Pitt are the class sizes. The class sizes here are much smaller with only around 15 kids in each one. At Pitt I would often attend lectures of dozens of kids. This has led to a much more comfortable and engaging learning environment.
I was assigned to one of the apartments farther from the city center and university. My walk to class is about 25 minutes, which is very different from my experience at Pitt. In Pittsburgh I live in a neighborhood of all students and about a ten minute walk to campus. Although it’s a longer walk, I’ve been enjoying passing by many different cafes, stores and restaurants. The walk helps me explore the city and learn more about Italian culture. In the apartment I live with eleven other girls also from Pitt. There are five bedrooms and five bathrooms. Although eleven people seemed like a lot at first, we have all adjusted well to living in our shared space and built a strong sense of community.
Having been in Florence for a little over a month now I can confidently this experience has exceeded my expectations. One of my biggest worries when coming here was the language barrier but I was pleasantly surprised by how accommodating and helpful the locals have been. I also enjoy learning and practicing Italian whenever possible, as it helps me feel more connected to the culture. Additionally, meeting other study abroad students from universities around the world has been incredibly rewarding, especially knowing that many of us are navigating similar adjustments. Overall, although it was a slight adjustment, Florence has been absolutely amazing and I’m excited for what’s to come.
