My experience in the classroom here in Florence is much different than my normal classroom experience at Pitt. I am definitely enjoying my classes. I am currently taking International Finance, International Marketing, Italian Language, and Oil Painting. I am finding all of them fascinating, especially painting, because it is unlike any class that I’ve taken in my coursework at Pitt. Both International Finance and International Marketing have broadened my perspective on subjects that pertain to my major. Italian Language has been exciting because I’ve been eager to apply the language I’m learning to my environment. 

Specific skills that are needed to be successful in this academic culture is the ability to adapt. The classes are structured differently than at Pitt, and I wasn’t used to learning in this way. It is a very hands-on learning experience which I really enjoy. Also, being in a new country and environment while also taking classes is a lot of change in a short amount of time. Adapting to this new culture took a little bit but now I feel like I am thriving both academically and socially. 

The main difference between classes at Pitt and classes here that I have noticed is how much students engage in class. Engagement is part of our overall grade for all of our classes here. Instead of lectures, it feels more of a classroom discussion. Even when a teacher lectures, they are always asking us questions or asking for our opinions. Another thing that is different is that in a lot of classes we do field trips or site visits very often. For example, we went to a museum one day in my painting class to look at paintings and artwork and study how they were made. Another time we went to a cafe for Italian and ordered all of our food in Italian. I have really enjoyed this class structure as it helps keep me engaged and I feel like I’m learning a lot.