As I near my first full month of being abroad, this week’s blog post reflects what I have learned thus far and I will also be sharing my three most important tips in maximizing your time!
It amazes me how fast time is flying but it also makes me nervous that I won’t have enough time with the eternal city of Florence. How selfish of me right? Four months is not nearly enough time! However, a little planning, patience and deal hunting goes a long way! Which leads me to my first, and most important tip to making the most of your time abroad:
PLAN PLAN PLAN
Planning ahead of time will make your time abroad a breeze in terms of excursions, trips and city exploration! Although planning can seem rather tedious and overwhelming, you’ll thank yourself (and me) later! When I was a freshman in college I was introduced to planning my semester in one sitting by using the semester at glance organizational method.
First start off with all your academic commitments for the semester, because while it is exciting to be abroad, school should still be the number one priority. Doing this show you which weeks are busy, which are slow allowing you to get a balanced picture of your workload and open slots.
Next move on to places and things your want to see while abroad. This can include excursions in the city or jet setting weekend trips! Planning early will allow you to score the best deals on travel. I mean, who doesn’t want to save a pretty penny? For weekend trips, be more strategic and methodical with your plans given that you don’t have a lot of time and want to maximize tourist destination spots. Showing up without a plan rarely works out in your favor—don’t get me started on our trip to Rome and the Vatican… But that’s a story for another blog!
Lastly, remember to not plan TOO much. While planning is possibly your greatest asset, don’t plan every second of everyday for the next four months! Leave time for unforeseen opportunities and time to yourself! You never know what opportunity will arise next! Allow yourself a weekend or two to rest. Although it may seem pointless to take a weekend off from exploring the city, taking some time to yourself will allow you to replenish and catch up with friends back home, homework or your favorite Netflix series. FUN FACT: Italy Netflix has a much better selection that US Netflix.
Check out events at your host school and host program—SAI
If you’re studying abroad trough SAI—let me tell you, you are at huuuuuuge advantage! You have an extensive amount of resources and opportunities. SAI coordinates and plans weekend trips, excursions and fun workshop classes for students! The best part? These activities are free of cost to you as a SAI Student! Participating in these activities will not only give you the opportunity to see and learn new things, but also allows you to connect with other SAI students! This week I’m looking forward to a day trip to Perugia! We will be visiting the Perugina Chocolate Factory, and as a chocolate connoisseur, I am so EXCITED! Check out next week’s blog for an inside look of our day trip!
Get lost!
During my time here, I have gotten lost at least once a day and I would have to admit, its my favorite part of the day! If I’m feeling spontaneous on my walk home from class, I will take all the right wrong turns. Who would’ve thought that getting lost in a foreign city would be the highlight of my day? Certainly not me. If anything, I feared being lost and alone in Florence, but I was wrong. Although it seems intimidating, it’s not the worst way to lose track of time. In the process, I have found a few of my favorite spots around town!
Ciao!