Florence, unknowingly, was the perfect place for me-- the art, the city size, the feeling, the atmosphere. SAI was also very helpful and provided a great program with their trips and helpful staff. About SAI: SAI set up our housing, health insurance,

different events and excursions (book-making workshop, cooking class, day trips to Siena, Lucca, etc.). Even in the chaos and unknowns of the beginning of the pandemic, the on-site staff was sweet, competent, and as helpful as they could be. They helped to answer questions throughout the program and were a great resource even for just peace of mind of knowing that there was someone there was you got overwhelmed or confused. They really helped make the arrival process easy and made sure we were introduced to our new city through an orientation and a magnificent dinner in a palace on our first night. My apartment (set-up through SAI) was SO CUTE! I definitely saw some of my friend's apartments that weren't as nice, but overall everyone's housing seemed pretty nice, clean, and safe. My apartment was located near the Duomo, so it wasn't too bad of a walk to get to the main areas/campus buildings. It was only a 5-minute walk from the Mercato Centrale, a big fruit/veggie/meat/cheese/spice/wine market. We had 3 people in a room, but it honestly wasn't as crowded as you would think. There were big beautiful windows that I miss looking out so much. We had a washing machine, a stove/oven, microwave, a fridge/freezer, tv, couch, and a little table to eat at in both the kitchen and living room. Was it worthwhile?: My experience was absolutely worthwhile, and I only got 1/3 of my experience (coronavirus interrupted it). I learned so much about what I want in life, how I relate to the world, and how to navigate an unfamiliar place and unfamiliar situations. I have a strong drive to become bilingual now and a love for Italian food and culture that I wouldn't have thought possible. I have this ridiculous section of my brain just filled with Italian art history (something that will certainly come in handy as an art teacher). I learned just how delicious gluten free food can be, and cannot wait to go back and have it again. I learned how to travel with people I just met and make new friends in a second. Yes yes yes, it was so worthwhile.

SAI Programs was the best! They are a huge part of the reason why I had such an incredible time abroad. They were such a great help and an amazing resource while I was there. They made the transition into a foreign country and dealing with culture shock

a breeze. My classes were awesome too because I got to take classes that I would have never had the chance to take at my home university. For instance in my religion class, which was more about the history of catholicism, we got to go around Italy and see the actual places that we were talking about. I could never have done that anywhere else. The courses weren't overwhelmingly difficult at all. The professors were really understanding in knowing that student's want to travel so they don't assign a lot of homework. Traveling was one of my favorite parts of being abroad because I got to actually go see places and do things that I only saw in movies or on postcards. It allowed me to experience the art, history, and culture of other countries that I had only ever dreamed about visiting. I loved my experience and wish I could go back and do it again

Wow I almost have no words to describe the experience. I absolutely loved having classes at FUA. The teachers are all so incredible and love making a real connection with their students. There is also such a wide variety of subjects available to study

with so many opportunities to learn outside of the classroom as well as many classes also have field trips. The teachers help in so many ways to make sure their students are adjusting well and still learning while having an amazing adventure. FUA provided me the opportunities to learn things I would not have at my home university like how and who built the Duomo, the history of Italian foods and arts and so much more. FUA was such a wonderful experience and I would do it all over again.

I attended Florence University of the Arts through the SAI program spring semester of 2018. It was an amazing experience and opened the door to unbelievable opportunities and adventures. SAI made everything so easy and affordable. They were with me every

step of the way to answer any questions and give recommendations. The SAI community wants each and every student to get the most out of their experience abroad and my semester would have been completely different without them. I am so thankful to this program and highly recommend it!