Ciao! When coming to Florence, I chose not to go into the internship program, instead opting to stick with classes. I did this because I wanted to take classes that are related to Florence, its history, and its culture. With this, I chose to take an art history class, sculpture class, Italian language class, and museology class. These classes are far different from what I am used to, but they have offered me a whole new perspective on the city I am living in. Two of my classes even take me to different museums every week for free. While they have also presented me with quite different challenges than I am used to, this experience has allowed me to adopt a whole new manner of studying (and offered up some pretty cool study spots at the same time).

A key skill I have had to adopt in this environment is adaptability. Unfortunately, if there is one thing Florence is not, it is spacious. A way I have gotten around this is by finding different, quiet study spots I can rely upon around the city. My favorite place to study is a movie theater and bookstore in one that allows people to work in the seats during the day. It is quiet and offers an atmosphere similar to a library. Something else that has helped me is just interacting with my professors. Much of my grade relies upon participation, and the professors very much enjoy it when you not just pay attention, but also respond to and ask questions actively.

The academic culture here seems to be quite intensive in my experience. While it differs based on the specific disciplines, this is definitely a culture based on success and hard work. It is expected that, given how hard professors work to provide an adequate classroom experience, the students should reciprocate in kind. However, hard work does not need to look like just studying all day and night, but making an effort to show up, engage with the material, or in the case of my sculpture class, try to improve yourself. Effort is noticed within this culture, and even though I started out quite rough with my initial clay sculptures, the more time I have spent with it has absolutely made a difference. Overall, these past few weeks have been incredibly enriching and given me a whole new perspective on my studies and the culture here.