Academics here in Florence, Italy is quite different than it is at The University of Alabama. Florence University of the Arts is broken up into different classroom buildings based off of the class category. My building is a little over a mile from my apartment, which is a lovely walk in the morning when the streets are more calm and less consumed with tourists. During this time, I am able to take in the true beauty and serenity of Italy. I found it shocking that the architecture of the classroom buildings is much more modern compared to the rest of Italy. My specific classroom consists of glass walls all around, which lets in much light. Sometimes, the air conditioning does not work so it gets uncomfortably hot. This is one of the many adjustments I have had to make. The classroom vibe is overall more chill and it is very apparent how passionate the teachers are about teaching us students their language. My classmates are diverse and come from all around the world. For example, one of my classmate’s name is “Brownie” and she is from South Africa. Another girl is from China. It is interesting getting to learn more about where everyone is from and why they chose to study abroad. One day for class, we walked as a group to the Mercado Centrale and had to complete a worksheet given to us by the teacher. Our tasks were to walk around the massive market, talking to locals and observing the many different fruits, vegetables, and meats that were available. This out of classroom assignment was a wonderful way to utilize our Italian that we had learned. I am beyond impressed with this program and course, and would recommend to all.
