WHY NYU FLORENCE EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS

By Sooyeon Eun

Before coming here to Florence, I didn’t know much about the city besides the fact that it is home to the Duomo; and I only knew this because my friend sent me a video of a guy raving about its construction. Yet, when the study abroad applications opened up, I decided to apply for the opportunity to explore another country for the first time and because I thought the timing was right for me. 

Still, even after I got into the program, I had my doubts. I was scared that I might get lost or that I would feel completely out of place. These feelings were certainly valid. For example, I did get a bit lost on the first day when I was looking for the closest supermarket, but NYU Florence provides help for you to navigate through most of the biggest challenges you might expect to encounter. From giving you free bus tickets at check-in, to leading tours of the city during your first week here, and giving you a crash course on the local culture, the staff is really understanding and helpful in getting you settled. If you’re on the fence about going to NYU Florence or are still comparing several study away sites, here are my top five reasons why you should do a semester in Florence:

#1 Beautiful Campus

As I mentioned earlier, I had very little idea of what to expect when I was coming to Florence. Yes, I looked into the NYU website, but it didn’t show me much. Compared to being here, any image I saw of the campus really didn’t do it justice. The view from one side of the campus to the other side of the “Valley of Death” (called that because of how steep going down and then back up it is) is just breathtaking. It’s also really nice to have a designated campus because it gives you a true “college” experience and builds community between you and your peers, in a way you might not experience in NYC. 

#2 Love the Classes

I’m only fulfilling my Organizational Communications and its Social Contexts (Org Comm) requirement for Stern while abroad, but I ABSOLUTELY love the professor! I heard mixed feelings about the class while in New York from different people, but Professor Matini is amazing as both a professor and a person. He really emphasizes finding your own style as a presenter and gives a lot of helpful feedback. He gives us a lot of presentations for practice, but they’re actually enjoyable because the topics are things we’re passionate about.  But, I also really enjoy my other classes! At first, I didn’t know that taking Italian was mandatory, but I’ve definitely enjoyed it thus far. It’s really helpful to know how to carry a conversation, especially when ordering at restaurants (but don’t worry if you’re not very good at first; almost everyone here knows at least basic English). A big focus in Florence  is hands-on learning, so we take a lot of on-site visits to different places around the city. For example, we’re going to Gucci Gardens for my Global Fashion Industry: Italy class, to Centro Pecci for my Photography & Imaging Digital class, and to Piazzale Michelangelo for my Elementary Italian class.

#3 Grocery Stores are Great!

If you’re worried about grocery shopping in a foreign country, you’re not alone, because I was too. But, there are a lot of options in Florence, including Esselunga, Pam, and Conad that offer reasonable prices and aren’t too far from the off-campus apartments. As we all know, NYC offers us so many food options and I wasn’t sure what I would do without Mexican/Korean food options, but you can still find some things to make it work! For instance, Esselunga (the closest grocery store to me) has a section for “Mexican food” where you can find flour tortillas and nachos. And, if you walk into town and go to “Supermercato Della Fortuna” you’ll find a reasonable selection of Chinese/Korean condiments and snacks. In fact, I was able to find Kimchi and ramen there! Also, as a side note, Esselunga has THE BEST macarons I’ve ever had. Head over to their bakery and you’ll be able to get a box of 5 fresh ones for less than 4 euros. 

#4 Good Public Transportation

I don’t need to expand much on this one, but if you’re looking to go to Pisa or Milan for a weekend, you can do this very easily. You can book train tickets ahead of time by using the Trenitalia app or buy them directly at the station. As for buses, just remember to validate your ticket and check the bus schedule using the Moovit app. You can take the 25 bus up Bolognese to get to campus (I personally take it from Piazza San Marco) but the bus tickets are valid 90 minutes from when you validate so you can mix and match bus lines to get to campus.

#5 Get to Travel During Weekends

Travel is typical for most abroad campuses but Italy has a lot of cities that I’ve always wanted to visit. For instance, I was able to go to Pisa for 9 euros each way and it was only a couple hours away from Florence. Plus, traveling within the EU is pretty straightforward and often cheap so there are plenty of options for weekend trips. 

All in all, I have REALLY enjoyed my time here and would definitely recommend the campus to anyone looking to change things up for a semester.