Why Study in Florence

Why is the Study Abroad important?

A vacation abroad gives you a taste, often misleading, of how people in other countries live. The semester in Florence allows you to live in the city for 3 months and be part of the everyday activities, going to the market, living in small spaces etc...Your academic experience will include the world around you: visits to museums, analysis of the economic outlook, culinary exploits or people watching, and pretty soon you will see tourists as “invading” your city! By experiencing new cultures you become a citizen of the world. Your horizons expand, your understanding of problems faced by those around you improves, your self esteem grows and your CV reflects all those changes! A “win-win” situation!

Instructor Website

http://voyager.dvc.edu/faculty/mgiuili

AIFS + faculty information for Florence 2012

http://www.aifspartnerships.com/ncsac/florence/spring_index.asp

Museums in Florence

http://www.firenzemusei.it/00_english/index.html

Information about Florence for students

http://www.theflorentine.net/articles/articles.asp?browse-by=Florence-forstudents

About Florence

http://florence-student-service.com/city-florence.html

Map of Florence and more

http://www.italyguides.it/us/florence/interactive_map_of_florence/map_of_florence.php

Florence, Italy = Spring 2012

Every year, the spring semester abroad goes to Florence, Italy, the Renaissance city whose art, history and language come alive in the great Italian tradition. Famous for its churches, museums, architecture, and world famous art works, Florence is also a modern city throbbing with Italian vitality, a city for the young at heart with cafes, shops and cinemas to add to the unique academic experience of a semester abroad. . In Florence students get to see for themselves the taste, the elegance and aesthetic sensibility that marked the Renaissance. Living and studying where the rebirth of creativity began five centuries ago is inspiring; art, history and language come alive in the great Italian tradition.

Next meeting August 25 at DVC in LA 112

Check this blog for next meetings.

 

Florence AIFS video

http://studyflorence2011.blogspot.com/2010/07/florence-video.html

Bookstore-coffee

Right downstairs from our school is one of the most comprehensive and convenient bookstores in all of Florence. Edison Bookstore (Piazza della Repubblica 27/r) is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am until midnight and Sunday from 10-midnight. This is an excellent place for late night browsing, and the store includes a cafe. Edison not only has a good English language book / magazine selection, they carry other items as well. Drop in on your way out of class and discover their collection.
If you are specifically interested in English language books, another wonderful nearby option (both new and used books) is Paperback Exchange at Via delle Ocche 4/r (open 9-7:30 Monday through Friday and 10:30-7:30 Saturdays).

Getting started

As you settle into your new apartments and prepare for your classes, you may find that you need a thing or two. As has been advised at multiple meetings, it is best to wait until you have moved into your apartment before buying any items you think you might need (sometimes appliances and various household goods such as hairdryers or shavers have been left behind by the previous tenants). Once moved in, if you find you need a thing or two for your place, you can look for affordable options at Ikea (just outside the city center near the airport) or the 99 cent store (there are a few scattered about Florence, one is at via Pietrapiana 86), or Upim (some clothes, toiletries and house goods) or Oviesse (sort of like an Italian "Ross"!).

To get to Ikea, it's most convenient and affordable to take the free shuttle that operates on the weekend. Board the bus (a regular looking city bus but with "Ikea" noted as the destination on the marquee) across from the Santa Maria Novella train station at the Via Valfonda side. The bus stop is directly in front of the Ciao-Ciao and the Benetton stores. The bus goes directly to Ikea and returns to Florence from the same stop where you're dropped off. Click here for times (recall that 13:30 means 1:30 pm, 14:30 is 2:30 pm and so on):

IKEA SHUTTLE

http://studyflorence2011.blogspot.com/2010/07/florence-video.html