Istituto Lorenzo de Medici (IDM)

In Italy going out to eat can be a lot more expensive. I would recommend eating at home if you have a kitchen and when you travel buy to go items from the grocery store to save money for more exciting things.

During the academic sector of my stay in Italy I was being taught in English and interacted in English. In meeting local Italains and in stores, restaurants ect. I feel I became well accostomed to various phrases and words needed. When my inabitions were down I had an easier time expressing myself fully in Italian and feel I gained a good grasp of communicating to my current abilities.

The only aspect of the accomodation that I found frustrating was the expenses of going through an agency rather than dealing with the landlord directly. Besides that the accommodations were very wonderful.

The housing was great. I just didn't like my roommates. However, what ever you choose I think living with other students or a family is a learning expirence.

I'm not a big clubber or bar hopper, but there are a ton of bars in which to get drunk and blow all your cash (that was almost double b/c of the exchange rate) on and go home with an either good looking or skeevy foreign guy! Go to all the muesuems- it's Florence- they're amazing! So much art and history, it;s mind blowing! Also, travel, travel, travel! All over Italy and Europe! The train is really easy to use in Italy and not so expensive, you can go to almost any Italian city! But, trains are notoriously always late arriving and departing in Italy, and staff at the stations are not usually helpful in my opinion. Also, the people who hang around the stations (especially in Florence and Bologna) are really, really creepy and dangerous. Ladies: be really careful and don't go alone, and be careful of the underground areas....

I chose not to live in the dormitory provided by the university. While dormitories are a great place to meet other people, I preferred to independently find housemates and an apartment through a housing agency in the city that regularly assists study abroad students. The apartments they offered were diverse in rent and location, but all were in good condition. My housemates and I chose one each semester that was right in the center of the city. I loved being able to live in the middle of the city hub, without having to rely on transportation to and from the dorms, which were futher out from the city's center.