Summer in Florence (Italy)

I had a great time in Florence with CIS Abroad! The support staff was awesome, my class (Magazine Editing and Publishing I) really immersed me in local culture, the activities planned for us were so fun, and the food was so delicious. You should definitely study abroad in Florence with CIS!

I had an amazing experience with CIS Abroad! They had the best program, and the advisors were awesome. They truly cared about their students and were always there to help. Everything was well-organized, and I couldn't have asked for a more supportive and smooth experience. I highly recommend CIS Abroad to anyone looking for a fantastic study abroad program!

With CIS Abroad, I had the smoothest experience I could have asked for! Florence was great, and I think the activities they planned for us to get to know each other and the city were really well thought out. From a cruise on the Arno, to the hike to the famous viewpoint across the river, to the yummy gelato and pizza, it was a great experience that CIS Abroad planned for us. Not to mention, the accommodation was great; it’s hard to beat rooftop pool and gym!

Before this trip I was a little worried about going abroad because this would be my first time going somewhere alone, without my family by my side. However, throughout orientations and meeting people through the instagram and Whatsapp group that was made, I realized that this was going to be an awesome experience, and that it was. From the beginning everyone throughout CIS Abroad was so welcoming and very helpful with any questions that I might have had. I always knew that I could contact them at any time and they were there to help me get through whatever I was going through. I will definitely be looking into other programs through CIS Abroad so that I can go abroad again sometime soon!

My time abroad with CIS was everything I could have ever dreamed of! In the weeks leading up to my program, I was given all the information I needed and my extra questions were always answered in a timely manner. Once arriving, I found it easy to transition from being picked up from the airport by our program leader to having a very helpful orientation around the city the next day, I felt confident even from the start of my trip that CIS would always be there for me. There were always dinner reservations made for us as well as other fun things like boat rides or walking tours! Our program leader also always made sure we knew what was going on in the city as well as all over Europe which always helped me feel safe. While being in Italy for 9 weeks, CIS always went above and beyond to make sure that all of their students were being taken care of from the moment we got there until the moment we left!

This trip was easily the best experience I've ever had. Right before writing this review I was going through my old pictures from the trip reminiscing, as I have done every single day since I got back. Not only did CIS go above and beyond while abroad, but they made sure we were all prepared before even stepping foot on the airplane. While applying, I was wary of whether or not my summer work schedule would allow me to go on the six week program, or the three week program. My program advisor reassured me that once I have my application in they can always switch it over–which took a complete weight off of my shoulders. Once accepted into our programs, CIS had an orientation meeting via video chat. This orientation meeting provided me with all of the information I could've asked for pre-departure, and I felt as if I knew everything about the city of Florence before even getting there. This definitely helped ease me into the culture, and mitigated any potential culture shock. I wound up doing the three week program, but I wish I could've stayed for an entire semester. Additionally, we had an orientation once we were settled in to our places as well. The orientation was long, but I don't know what I would have done without it. They described at length what to do, what not to do, which places to avoid, cultural norms we should respect, and even where to get the best mosquito repellant (which was VERY life changing). Once we arrived in Florence, I knew I was in the right place. The city itself is so utterly beautiful and rich in culture and history. Aside from the true magnificence of the city and the country, CIS provided us with numerous opportunities to truly dive into the culture and experience local life outside of the tourist realm. One of my favorite experiences was the gelato tour–where we toured around the city and tried two of the best gelato places in Florence, the kind you only find if you wander far off the beaten path and have a local to help you find it! My other favorite experience was the pasta making night. We all contributed to make a traditional Italian meal from scratch–including making home made pasta. These are only two of so many experiences I enjoyed and that truly made my time abroad feel like I was at home. Our site leaders, Peggy and Alessandro also had a huge impact on our trip. Not only were they there for us if we had any issues or concerns, but they helped to guide us whether we were looking for local spots to explore or needed to figure out how to use public transportation. This totally changed our experience, because we basically had locals we could text and ask any questions! We were able to explore so many cool places that we wouldn't have had the opportunity to had we not been able to reach out to Peggy and Alessandro. In addition, the institution where we studied could not have been more perfect. Florence University of the Arts offered numerous academic subjects to explore, and went above and beyond in ensuring that students got the most out of their experience. What is unique about FUA, is that they offer mandatory excursion trips as part of each course, where you get to travel outside of Florence and take part in activities pertaining to your class. For example, for my Italian class we visited Orvieto, a small town with a bit of a large secret–an entire community of caves under the city that were once occupied years before. We got to tour the caves and learned about the cities' history and why the caves were created. This was definitely one of my most memorable experiences, it was so unique and I would have never visited or even known about that town on my own. Overall, I could write an entire book about how great my experience was. CIS does it best, and they offer everything you could ask for! As a last point, I would like to mention that CIS has included health care while you are abroad. If we ever got sick or had any emergency, we had a doctor available to us that was free to visit, which really made a huge difference for me. Although I never needed to visit the doctor, I had a friend who broke her tail bone cliff jumping and was able to visit a doctor immediately because of this. It eased the students' minds knowing we had somewhere to go if anything happened to us, which really matters especially in a foreign country. The only thing I would say about this program is that the housing in our specific program could have been better. We did not have the best housing, although everyone else on our trip had good apartments. We must have gotten a bad luck of the draw–but listening to the students and their housing complaints is necessary and not to be taken lightly. I would suggest if possible a back up apartment kept open should any of the students have any serious problems with their housing–that would have really helped my roommates and I.

While spending six weeks studying in Florence in Summer 2017, I felt so supported by the CIS staff in-country and back in the states. They were with me every step of the way as I was getting signed up to make sure nothing was missed. I knew everything I needed to know beforehand about living arrangements, in-country resources, and what to pack. CIS's arrangement with Florence University of the Arts gave me an opportunity to explore the city given that classes took place throughout Florence. CIS's programs and dinners were a wonderful way to meet more of my fellow American students. I felt so free to explore my exciting new city because I knew that, should I need them, the kind and helpful CIS staff were there for support.

This trip was easily the best experience I've ever had. Right before writing this review I was going through my old pictures from the trip reminiscing, as I have done every single day since I got back. Not only did CIS go above and beyond while abroad, but they made sure we were all prepared before even stepping foot on the airplane. While applying, I was wary of whether or not my summer work schedule would allow me to go on the six week program, or the three week program. My program advisor reassured me that once I have my application in they can always switch it over–which took a complete weight off of my shoulders. Once accepted into our programs, CIS had an orientation meeting via video chat. This orientation meeting provided me with all of the information I could've asked for pre-departure, and I felt as if I knew everything about the city of Florence before even getting there. This definitely helped ease me into the culture, and mitigated any potential culture shock. I wound up doing the three week program, but I wish I could've stayed for an entire semester. Additionally, we had an orientation once we were settled in to our places as well. The orientation was long, but I don't know what I would have done without it. They described at length what to do, what not to do, which places to avoid, cultural norms we should respect, and even where to get the best mosquito repellant (which was VERY life changing). Once we arrived in Florence, I knew I was in the right place. The city itself is so utterly beautiful and rich in culture and history. Aside from the true magnificence of the city and the country, CIS provided us with numerous opportunities to truly dive into the culture and experience local life outside of the tourist realm. One of my favorite experiences was the gelato tour–where we toured around the city and tried two of the best gelato places in Florence, the kind you only find if you wander far off the beaten path and have a local to help you find it! My other favorite experience was the pasta making night. We all contributed to make a traditional Italian meal from scratch–including making home made pasta. These are only two of so many experiences I enjoyed and that truly made my time abroad feel like I was at home. Our site leaders, Peggy and Alessandro also had a huge impact on our trip. Not only were they there for us if we had any issues or concerns, but they helped to guide us whether we were looking for local spots to explore or needed to figure out how to use public transportation. This totally changed our experience, because we basically had locals we could text and ask any questions! We were able to explore so many cool places that we wouldn't have had the opportunity to had we not been able to reach out to Peggy and Alessandro. In addition, the institution where we studied could not have been more perfect. Florence University of the Arts offered numerous academic subjects to explore, and went above and beyond in ensuring that students got the most out of their experience. What is unique about FUA, is that they offer mandatory excursion trips as part of each course, where you get to travel outside of Florence and take part in activities pertaining to your class. For example, for my Italian class we visited Orvieto, a small town with a bit of a large secret–an entire community of caves under the city that were once occupied years before. We got to tour the caves and learned about the cities' history and why the caves were created. This was definitely one of my most memorable experiences, it was so unique and I would have never visited or even known about that town on my own. Overall, I could write an entire book about how great my experience was. CIS does it best, and they offer everything you could ask for! As a last point, I would like to mention that CIS has included health care while you are abroad. If we ever got sick or had any emergency, we had a doctor available to us that was free to visit, which really made a huge difference for me. Although I never needed to visit the doctor, I had a friend who broke her tail bone cliff jumping and was able to visit a doctor immediately because of this. It eased the students' minds knowing we had somewhere to go if anything happened to us, which really matters especially in a foreign country.

I learned about CISabroad through a friend of mine who went during the summer the previous year. I couldn't stop thinking about how she had such an amazing time and I decided to look into it myself. I realized CIS had SO many programs, and offered a lot of cities and countries that my home institution did not offer for the summer. Before even applying I already felt so much less stressed because the deadlines to apply were extremely manageable. I at first signed up for the six week program, but due to work conflicts I got nervous I would have to do a shorter program, but had already applied for the six week. My abroad advisor (Molly) was so accommodating and nice she simply switched me over to the three week program no problems at all. Before arriving everyone had to attend a pre departure orientation via video chat–I was actually really shocked and pleased at how thorough everyone was. I felt like I was an expert on the culture of Italy, what to pack, and what to do once I got there before even stepping foot on the plane. This was a lot more important than I realized at the time, but I really think it helped neutralize any potential culture shock, because they informed us so well before leaving. Now onto the actual trip....I could write essays about how great of an experience it was. I went on this trip not knowing a soul, and wound up becoming inseparable with all of my roommates. The institution CIS chose for us to attend was incredible, and had excursion trips to go on with your class, to immerse yourself in the culture. One of my favorite experiences was this trip because I got to see what a community outside of the big city of Florence was like, while participating in local life. In addition to that, CIS had so many fun activities set up for us. My favorite activity was when we learned how to make authentic Italian pasta from scratch (it was amazing). We also got to attend an authentic Italian Opera which was incredible. It was in an old church, and we were apart of about a twenty person crowd, and the singing was unlike anything I've ever heard. If I ever needed suggestions on local restaurants or hangouts, we were able to contact our on site leaders Peggy and Alessandro and they gave us great suggestions. Whether it was finding a good gelato place, or a rooftop bar, we found something new to do every night. One of my favorite things to do was simply being apart of everything in the sense that oftentimes my friends and I would just sit by the Ponte Vecchio and people watch, imagining what it would be like to live there and be apart of the culture. We simply had the best time we could have ever imagined. We still will text each other reminiscing and talking about how we wish more than anything we could go back. The city of Florence is unlike any other, and although I was only there for three weeks, I felt that I had gotten everything I could have out of my experience thanks to CIS.

I could not imagine a better way to study abroad. The program leaders were extremely knowledgeable about the area and wanted you to live like a true Italian. I feel like even in the short time I was there, people were mistaking me as a local, rather than a tourist. The living situation was incredible. A true Italian apartment in the middle of Florence, just a two minute walk from the Duomo. Schooling was excellent as well. A new school, a multitude of class choices, and the teacher knew both English and Italian fluently making the class non stressful and interesting. The classes were interactive and it felt more like a class I wanted to take rather than a burden. We were briefed about the area through many sources, and were prepared to take on any type of situation if it ever arose thanks to the staff that was always available. I would recommend this program to anyone and everyone who wants to go abroad

Traveling with CISAbroad changed me for the better. I knew that I would have a great time, but this program and trip exceeded even my greatest expectations. With the programs help and guidance, I experienced the culture of Italy, had an amazing time, and became more confident within myself as a traveler. Thanks to this trip, I have made it a personal goal to travel more and expand my view of the world.

I spent my summer at the Florence University of the Arts through CIS Abroad. Our CIS Abroad on-side coordinator was personable and readily answered any questions. The school had nice facilities and the main campus was in an area that is well lit at night. My professors were masters in their fields and managed to have their students understand the information while teaching in a second language. A lot of places around the city are tourist-y and geared towards American college students, but you can find areas the locals frequent if you look hard enough!

I made the decision to study abroad with CISabroad for three weeks of the summer in Florence, Italy. During the application process, I was starting to get skeptical and annoyed because I felt that a lot of the details on the website were vague, not to mention the outdated and "estimated" information and broken links. I was worried that I was really taking a chance with CISabroad and that I would end up alone and confused on my first time abroad. I was constantly emailing my program coordinator with little questions several times a day, but she was always pretty helpful and understanding. With all that being said, I really feel as if CISabroad had it together once I was in Florence much more so than before I left home. They really provided us with a lot of detailed information about living in Italy in a packet that was sent out right before departure. For instance, part of the packet described what to do to in case of a power outage in the apartment. My apartment had one power outage and if it weren't for the guide in the packet, my roommates and me would have honestly been completely helpless (as they were from a different program that did not provide any information like this). My worries about studying with CISabroad quickly subsided once I got to Florence. The on-site coordinator was cool - he lead us on several CISabroad events ranging from visits to the best gelaterias in town to traveling through Venice & Padua. He was very easy to reach when I needed him; I had a question regarding my apartment and he answered my email in 3 minutes. Now that I am home, I feel like my study abroad experience was a dream. It was truly the trip of a lifetime. I met so many great people and made lifelong friends for sure. I definitely left a piece of my heart in Florence. I do wish that CISabroad had done a better job at explaining the program in depth in the weeks leading up to my departure. However, the only thing I regret is not doing 6 weeks instead of 3. If you are considering studying abroad, I say DO IT! Without a doubt, it was the best decision of my life.

I really enjoyed my time spent in Florence. It was an experience of a lifetime! Florence University of Arts was a great school with so many great classes and activities. The city is beautiful each day you'll find yourself in awe at the beauty of it

Living conditions were unsanitary and inexcusable. Mold in the showers and beds were cots. The worst part about the entire experience was the unfairness between apartments. I was stuck in a dirty apartment with no air conditioning while it was 100 degrees every day while others had a nice, clean, air conditioned apartment.

I had an amazing time and made some great friends out of my roommates. I explored new parts of myself and enjoyed all of the culture and beauty Italy had to offer. I loved the planned trios with Alessandro and my professors and the cooking classes offered free by the school.

Florence is an amazing place to go study abroad, the food is to die for, every street is filled with beautiful architecture, and the city is simply perfect. Florence has a huge population of students with almost 1/3 - 2/3 of the population being study abroad students. Because of this there are so many places to go to meet new students and usually there is no trouble in terms of the language barrier. There are plenty of sites to go see around the city and plenty of restaurants have special offers or discounts for students such as free wine! If you ever find yourself out at night around 1:30AM go find secret bakery and get some freshly baked croissants nothing comes close in terms of taste! My apartment was pretty nice from what I've seen and even though it didn't have AC it was bearable regardless of the heat and there was never a moment I felt unsafe in the city. The only downside I see about Florence is the fact that because there are so many students and tourists in the city when people know you're an English speaker they speak to you in English so it is kinda hard to get immersed in the culture. Regardless studying abroad in Florence was one of the best experiences of my life and I'd do anything to go back to the city. Trust me if you go to Florence any city and any food will seem subpar.

I loved Florence! It was such an amazing city. I wish I would have done my research, however, because the heat in the middle of the summer was brutal. The time of year I went would be the only thing I would have changed about the experience.

Summer in Florence with CISAbroad was a rewarding and enlightening experience. The on-site coordinator was readily available and eager to help students get adjusted to the Italian lifestyle. The classes were great. I had an unforgettable time and would recommend studying abroad through CISAbroad to anyone.

Had the best time abroad in Florence. It was only for three weeks, but that was the perfect amount for a homebody like myself. I know that it made me a better person. I went not knowing anyone, so I gained courage and confidence before I even landed in Italy. I didn't get sick of Europe at all. Florence is a great place to visit pretty much any where else in Europe so easily. I took a weekend trip to Greece. If three weeks seems too little, pretty much everyone I spoke to had someone from their family coming up at the end of the program to travel more, and thats what I did. Already planning going back to visit!!!